Haemaphysalis concinna

Haemaphysalis concinna
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Subclass: Acari
Order: Ixodida
Family: Ixodidae
Genus: Haemaphysalis
Species: H. concinna
Binomial name
Haemaphysalis concinna
C. L. Koch, 1844

Haemaphysalis concinna is a common rodent tick species that originally predominantly occurred in Russia and Eastern Europe,[1] but is also known from Japan, China, Germany and France.[2]

It is known to act as a disease vector.[1]

Description

Females reach a length of three to four mm, but can grow up to ten mm when engorged; males are about three mm long. An unfed nymph is under two mm long. There are more males than females.[2]

Development

All three stages target different hosts, the eggs are laid on the ground. They mate on their host around April.[2]

Feeding behavior

Nymphs and larvae feed on small mammals such as rodents or hedgehogs, or on birds, reptiles, and humans. Adults prefer larger mammals, ranging from cats to horses, again including humans.[2]

Diseases

H. concinna can act as a vector for Francisella tularensis (tularaemia), Rickettsia sibirica (Siberian tick typhus), Rickettsia heilongjiangensis (Far-Eastern spotted fever), Virus of Russian spring-summer encephalitis (RSSE) and tick borne encephalitis (TBE).[2]

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 6/18/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.