Tick identification
Authors: Prof Maxime Madder, Prof Ivan Horak, Dr Hein Stoltsz
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.
Introduction
festoons, adanal, subanal and accessory anal plates,
The systematics and taxonomy of ticks, the seasonal
coxae and anal groove.
occurrence, different life cycles, tick morphology and
identification and differential diagnosis of ticks of
The identification of ticks up to species level is much
veterinary importance are described.
more complicated and requires more expertise.
Systematics/Taxonomy
Find out more
There are three families of ticks although one family,
 Tick Importance and transmission: The ticks of
Nuttallielidae comprises only one species. Hard ticks or
veterinary importance and the different routes of
Ixodidae are characterized by the presence of a hard
transmission, including transovarial, transtadial and
scutum or shield and mouthparts projecting forward
intrastadial transmission are described.
which makes them visible from the dorsal side. In soft
 Tick surveillance: Information is provided on the
ticks or Argasidae, the mouthparts are recessed
different collection methods of ticks, including
ventrally except in the larval stage.
vegetation sampling, nest/burrow sampling, tick
traps and host sampling methods.
 Control
Seasonal occurrence and life cycles
of
ticks:
Different
control
strategies
Most ticks show seasonality in their life cycles; adult
(chemical, biological and vaccines), principles of
ticks will become active and feed at the start of the
acaricide resistance, and the effect of tick control on
rainy season. The study of the seasonal occurrence of
endemic
ticks is of major importance in the control of ticks and
described, and information is provided on the
tick-borne diseases.
different chemical products available.
Identification and differential diagnosis
The identification
of
ticks
is
mainly based
on
morphological features although the hosts on which
they occur, the locality where they were found and their
seasonal activity is taken into consideration.
The various genera of hard ticks can easily be
differentiated by a set of features unique to each
genus: mouthparts, basis capituli, scutum, eyes,
stability
of
tick-borne
diseases
are