Tick species (Ixodia) identified in Iceland

Eight species of ticks of the family Ixodidae have been identified in Iceland; Ixodes uriae, I. caledonicus, I. ricinus, I. hexagonus, I. cf scapularis, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Dermacentor variabilis and Hyalomma aegyptium. Ticks of the family Argasidae have not been found. I. uriae is indigenous...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sigurður H. Richter 1943-, Matthías Eydal 1952-, Karl Skírnisson 1953-, Erling Ólafsson 1949-
Other Authors: Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1946/19622
Description
Summary:Eight species of ticks of the family Ixodidae have been identified in Iceland; Ixodes uriae, I. caledonicus, I. ricinus, I. hexagonus, I. cf scapularis, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Dermacentor variabilis and Hyalomma aegyptium. Ticks of the family Argasidae have not been found. I. uriae is indigenous and common in seabird colonies in Iceland. I. caledonicus has been found on stationary birds and therefore also considered to be indigenous. I. ricinus has been found all over the country on humans, other mammals and birds and is carried by migratory birds to the country in the spring but it is uncertain if it is indigenous. I. hexagonus has been reported once. The remaining four species were all found under circumstances that suggest incidental findings. Átta tegundir stórmítla (ticks) hafa verið greindar á Íslandi; Ixodes uriae (lundamítillinn, lundalúsin), I. caledonicus (norræni fuglamítillinn), I. ricinus (skógarmítillinn), I. cf scapularis (dádýramítillinn), Ixodes hexagonus (broddgaltamítillinn), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (brúni hundamítillinn), Dermacentor variabilis (ameríski hundamítillinn) og Hyalomma aegyptium (skjaldbökumítillinn). I. uriae er landlægur og algengur í sjófuglabyggðum á Íslandi. I. caledonicus hefur fundist á staðfuglum og því einnig talinn landlægur. I. ricinus hefur fundist víða um land á mönnum, öðrum spendýrum og fuglum og berst með farfuglum til landsins en óvíst er hvort hann er landlægur. Greint hefur verið frá I. hexagonus einu sinni. Hinar fjórar tegundirnar hafa fundist við aðstæður sem benda til þess að þar hafi slæðingar verið á ferðinni.