Dorsal view of a typical male and female Ixodes with identifying features of the genus arrowed (Copyright,  Dr. Gary D. Alpert, Harvard University and Stephen L. Doggett) (click on thumbnail for larger image).

Ventral view of a typical male Ixodes with identifying features of the genus arrowed (click on thumbnail for larger image).

Number of species in genus

249 species (Barker & Murrell 2004)

Species list

I. abrocomae Lahille, 1917
I. acuminatus Neumann, 1901
I. acutitarsus (Karsch, 1880)
I. affinis Neumann, 1899
I. albignaci Uilenberg & Hoogstraal, 1969
I. alluaudi Neumann, 1913
I. amarali Fonseca, 1935
I. amersoni Kohls, 1966
I. anatis Chilton, 1904K,
I. andinus Kohls, 1956
I. angustus Neumann, 1899
I. antechini Roberts, 1960
I. apteridis Maskell, 1897
I. apronophorus Schulze, 1924
I. arabukiensis Arthur, 1959
I. aragaoi Fonseca, 1935
I. arboricola Schulze & Schlottke, 1930
I. arebiensis Arthur, 1956
I. asanumai Kitaoka, 1973
I. aulacodi Arthur, 1956
I. auriculaelongae Arthur, 1958
I. auritulus Neumann, 1904
I. australiensis Neumann, 1904
I. baergi Cooley & Kohls, 1942
I. bakeri Arthur & Clifford, 1961
I. banksi Bishopp, 1911
I. bedfordi Arthur, 1959
I. bequaerti Cooley & Kohls, 1945
I. berlesei Birula, 1895
I. bivari Santos Dias, 1990
I. boliviensis Neumann, 1904
I. brewsterae Keirans, Clifford & Walker, 1982
I. browningi Arthur, 1956
I. brumpti Morel, 1965
I. brunneus Koch, 1844
I. calcarhebes Arthur & Zulu, 1980
I. caledonicus Nuttall, 1910
I. canisuga Johnston, 1849
I. capromydis Cerny, 1966
I. catherinei Keirans, Clifford & Walker, 1982
I. cavipalpus Nuttall & Warburton, 1908
I. ceylonensis Kohls, 1950
I. chilensis Kohls, 1957
I. colasbelcouri Arthur, 1957
I. collocaliae Schulze, 1937
I. columnae Takada & Fujita, 1992
I. conepati Cooley & Kohls, 1943
I. confusus Roberts, 1960
I. cookei Packard, 1869
I. cooleyi Aragao & Fonseca, 1951
I. copei Wilson, 1980
I. cordifer Neumann, 1908
I. cornuae Arthur, 1960
I. cornuatus Roberts, 1960
I. corwini Keirans, Clifford & Walker, 1982
I. crenulatus Koch, 1844
I. cuernavacensis Kohls & Clifford, 1966
I. cumulatimpunctatus Schulze, 1943
I. dampfi Cooley, 1943
I. daveyi Nuttall, 1913
I. dawesi Arthur, 1956
I. dendrolagi Wilson, 1967
I. dentatus Marx, 1899
I. dicei Keirans & Ajohola, 2003
I. diomedeae Arthur, 1958
I. diversifossus Neumann, 1899
I. djaronensis Neumann, 1907
I. domerguei Uilenberg & Hoogstraal, 1965
I. donarthuri Santos Dias, 1980
I. downsi Kohls, 1957
I. drakensbergensis Clifford, Theiler & Baker, 1975
I. eadsi Kohls & Clifford, 1964
I. eastoni Keirans & Clifford, 1983
I. eichhorni Nuttall, 1916
I. eldaricus Dzhaparidze, 1950
I. elongatus Bedford, 1929
I. eudyptidis Maskell, 1885
I. euplecti Arthur, 1958
I. evansi Arthur, 1956
I. fecialis Warburton & Nuttall, 1909
I. festai Tonelli-Rondelli, 1926
I. filippovae Cerny, 1961
I. fossulatus Neumann, 1899
I. frontalis (Panzer, 1798)
I. fuscipes Koch, 1844
I. galapagoensis Clifford & Hoogstraal, 1980
I. ghilarovi Filippova & Panova, 1988
I. gibbosus Nuttall, 1916
I. granulatus Supino, 1897
I. gregsoni Lindquist, Wu & Redner, 1999
I. guatemalensis Kohls, 1956
I. hearlei Gregson, 1941
I. heinrichi Arthur, 1962
I. hexagonus Leach, 1815
I. himalayensis Dhanda & Kulkarni, 1969
I. hirsti Hassall, 1931
I. holocyclus Neumann, 1899
I. hoogstraali Arthur, 1955
I. howelli Cooley & Kohls, 1938
I. hyatti Clifford, Hoogstraal & Kohls, 1971
I. hydromyidis Swan, 1931
I. jacksoni Hoogstraal, 1967
I. jellisoni Cooley & Kohls, 1938
I. jonesae Kohls, Sonenshine & Clifford, 1969
I. kaiseri Arthur, 1957
I. kashimiricus Pomerantsev, 1948
I. kazakstani Olenev & Sorokoumov, 1934
I. kempi Nuttall, 1913
I. kerguelenensis Andre & Colas-Belcour, 1942
I. kingi Bishopp, 1911
I. kohlsi Arthur, 1955
I. kopsteini (Oudemans, 1926)
I. kuntzi Hoogstraa1 & Kohls, 1965
I. laguri Olenev, 1929 sensu Olenev, 1931
I. lasallei Mendez Arocha & Ortiz, 1958
I. latus Arthur, 1958
I. laysanensis Wilson, 1964
I. lemuris Arthur, 1958
I. lewisi Arthur, 1965
I. lividus Koch, 1844
I. longiscutatus Boero, 1944
I. loricatus Neumann, 1899
I. loveridgei Arthur, 1958
I. luciae Senevet, 1940
I. lunatus Neumann, 1907
I. luxuriosus Schulze, 1932
I. macfarlanei Keirans, Clifford & Walker, 1982
I. malayensis Kohls, 1962
I. marmotae Cooley & Kohls, 1938
I. marxi Banks, 1908
I. maslovi Emel'yanova & Kozlovskaya, 1967K,
I. matopi Spickett, Keirans, Norval & Clifford, 1981
I. mexicanus Cooley & Kohls, 1942
I. minor Neumann, 1902
I. minutae Arthur, 1959
I. mitchelli Kohls, Clifford & Hoogstraal, 1970
I. monospinosus Saito, 1968
I. montoyanus Cooley, 1944
I. moreli Arthur, 1957
I. moscharius Teng, 1982
I. moschiferi Nemenz, 1968
I. muniensis Arthur & Burrow, 1957
I. muris Bishopp & Smith, 1937
I. murreleti Cooley & Kohls, 1945
I. myospalacis Teng, 1986
I. myotomys Clifford & Hoogstraal, 1970
I. myrmecobii Roberts, 1962
I. nairobiensis Nuttall, 1916
I. nchisiensis Arthur, 1958
I. nectomys Kohls, 1957
I. neitzi Clifford, Walker & Keirans, 1977
I. neotomae Cooley, 1944
I. nesomys Uilenberg & Hoogstraal, 1969
I. neuquenensis Ringuelet, 1947
I. nicolasi Santos Dias, 1982
I. nipponensis Kitaoka & Saito, 1967
I. nitens Neumann, 1904
I. nuttalli Lahille, 1913
I. nuttallianus Schulze, 1930
I. occultus Pomerantsev, 1946
I. ochotonae Gregson, 1941
I. okapiae Arthur, 1956
I. oldi Nuttall, 1913
I. ornithorhynchi Lucas, 1846
I. ovatus Neumann, 1899
I. pacificus Cooley & Kohls, 1943
I. paranensis Barros-Battesti, Arzua, Pichorim &Keirans, 2003
I. pararicinus Keirans & Clifford, 1985
I. pavlovskyi Pomerantsev, 1946
I. percavatus Neumann, 1906
I. peromysci Augustson, 1940
I. persulcatus Schulze, 1930
I. petauristae Warburton, 1933
I. philipi Keirans & Kohls, 1970
I. pilosus Koch, 1844
I. pomerantzi Kohls, 1956
I. pomeranzevi Serdyukova, 1941
I. priscicollaris Schulze, 1932
I. procaviae Arthur & Burrow, 1957
I. prokopjevi (Emel'yanova, 1979)
I. radfordi Kohls, 1948
I. rageaui Arthur, 1958
I. randriansoloi Uilenberg & Hoogstraal, 1969
I. rangtangensis Teng, 1973
I. rasus Neumann, 1899
I. redikorzevi Olenev, 1927
I. rhabdomysae Arthur, 1959
I. ricinus (Linnaeus, 1758)
I. rothschildi Nuttall & Warburton, 1911
I. rotundatus Arthur, 1958
I. rubicundus Neumann, 1904
I. rubidus Neumann, 1901
I. rugicollis Schulze & Schlottke, 1930
I. rugosus Bishopp, 1911
I. sachalinensis Filippova, 1971
I. scapularis Say, 1821
I. schillingsi Neumann, 1901
I. schulzei Aragao & Fonseca, 1951
I. sculptus Neumann, 1904
I. semenovi Olenev, 1929
I. shahi Clifford, Hoogstraal & Kohls, 1971
I. siamensis Kitaoka & Suzuki, 1983
I. sigelos Keirans, Clifford & Corwin, 1976
I. signatus Birula, 1895
I. simplex Neumann, 1906
I. sinaloa Kohls & Clifford, 1966
I. sinensis Teng, 1977
I. soricis Gregson, 1942
I. spinae Arthur, 1958
I. spinicoxalis Neumann, 1899
I. spinipalpis Hadwen & Nuttall, 1916
I. steini Schulze, 1932
I. stilesi Neumann, 1911
I. stromi Filippova, 1957
I. subterranus Filippova, 1961
I. taglei Kohls, 1969
I. tamaulipas Kohls & Clifford, 1966
I. tancitarius Cooley & Kohls, 1942
I. tanuki Saito, 1964
I. tapirus Kohls, 1956
I. tasmani Neumann, 1899
I. tecpanensis Kohls, 1956
I. texanus Banks, 1909
I. theilerae Arthur, 1953
I. thomasae Arthur & Burrow, 1957
I. tiptoni Kohls & Clifford, 1962
I. tovari Cooley, 1945
I. transvaalensis Clifford & Hoogstraal, 1966
I. trianguliceps Birula, 1895
I. trichosuri Roberts, 1960
I. tropicalis Kohls, 1956
I. turdus Nakatsuji, 1942
I. ugandanus Neumann, 1906
I. unicavatus Neumann, 1908
I. uriae White, 1852
I. vanidicus Schulze, 1943
I. venezuelensis Kohls, 1953
I. ventalloi Gil Collado, 1936
I. vespertilionis Koch, 1844
I. vestitus Neumann, 1908
I. victoriensis Nuttall, 1916
I. uruguayensis Kohls & Clifford, 1967
I. walkerae Clifford, Kohls & Hoogstraal, 1968
I. werneri Kohls, 1950
I. woodi Bishopp, 1911
I. zaglossi Kohls, 1960
I. zairensis Keirans, Clifford & Walker, 1982
I. zealandicus (Dumbleton, 1953) (at present this is considered to be a sub species of I. auritulus)
I. zumpti Arthur, 1960

Identifying features of genus

Adults

• Anal groove: Present and embracing the anus anteriorly
• Eyes: Absent
• Festoons: Absent
• Basis capituli: Various
• Ornamentation: Inornate
• Ventral plates (males only): Pregenital, median, anal, empimeral and adanal plates present

Nymphs

• Anal groove: Present and embracing the anus anteriorly
• Eyes: Absent
• Festoons: Absent
• Basis capituli: Rectangular-sub rectangular or triangular-sub triangular
• Palpi: Longs and broad 

Species occuring in New Zealand

I. eudyptidis  (NZ endemic (?)) -Sea birds
I. uriae (Northern Hemisphere/Southern Hemisphere ?) -Sea birds
I. auritulus (NZ endemic (?)) -Sea birds
I. kerguelenensis (Subantarctic)  -Sea birds
I. jacksoni (NZ endemic) -Sea birds (Comorants)
I. anatis (NZ endemic)-Kiwi and blue duck

Species that are considered to be a risk

I. canisuga
I. hexagonus (this species has previously been intercepted at New Zealands border)
I. holocyclus (this species has previously been intercepted at New Zealands border)
I. pacificus (this species has previously been intercepted at New Zealands border)
I. ricinus  (this species has previously been intercepted at New Zealands border)
I. scapularis
 

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Species previously intercepted at border

Region of origin/species
Australia: I. holocyclus
North America/USA: I. pacificus
Europe/UK: I. ricinus, I. hexagonus

General comments

Ixodes is the largest tick genus with 15 subgenera and 234-249 species.  These species have a global distribution with approx 60 Ethiopian spp., 56 palearctic spp., 24 neararctic spp., 33 neotropical spp., 22 oriental spp. and 33 Australian sp.  The potential for accidental importation of Ixodes species via cargo, pet and human pathways is high.

• Largest tick genera
• Hosts of adults are mammals or birds (one species occurs on lizards); hosts of immatures are mammals, birds, or lizards
• Many species are of medical or veterinary importance (for example Lyme disease, tick borne encephalitis, louping ill)
• Some species cause tick paralysis (the most commonly intercepted Ixodes species, Ixodes holocyclus, is a paralysis tick)
  

Useful references

Arthur DR 1963. British ticks.  Butterworths, London.  213 pp.

Barker SC & Murrell A  2004.  Systematics and evolution of ticks with a list of valid genus and species names.  Parasitology, 129: S15-S36.

Camicas, JL, hervy JP, Adam, F & Morel PC 1998.  Les Tiques de Monde.  Nomenclature, stades decrits, hotes, repartition.  The ticks of the world.  Nomenclature, described stages, hosts, distribution (Acarida, Ixodida). France , Orstom Editions.

Hillyard PD  1996.  Ticks of north-west Europe. Synopsses of the British fauna (new series). No 52.  Published for the linnean Society of London and the Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association by Field Studies Council Publications, Montford Bridge, UK 178 pp. 

Horack IG, Camicas, J-L & Kierans, JE 2002. The Argasidae, Ixodidae and Nuttalliellidae (Acari: Ixodida): a world list of valid tick names.  Experimental and Applied Acarology, 28: 27-54.

Nuttall GHF & Warburton C  1911. Ticks. A monograph of the Ixodoidea. Part II. Ixodidae. Cambridge University Press, London.