Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus, 1758)
(Sheep Tick, Pasture Tick, Castor Bean Tick, Deer Tick)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesIxodes ricinus (Sheep Tick, Pasture Tick, Castor Bean Tick, Deer Tick)
GenusIxodes (hard ticks)
FamilyIXODIDAE (hard ticks)
OrderIXODIDA (ticks)
SuperorderPARASITIFORMES (parasitiform mites)
SubclassACARI (mites)
ClassARACHNIDA (mites, spiders, false scorpions, harvestmen etc.)
SubphylumCHELICERATA (a subphylum of arthropods)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Ixodes ricinus (Sheep Tick, Pasture Tick, Castor Bean Tick, Deer Tick) :
1: Ixodes ricinus (Sheep Tick, Pasture Tick, Castor Bean Tick, Deer Tick)
11 Apr 2018 OSGR: SY98 50° 40’ N, 2° 10’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
swept
Image 1: Male - fore-parts - ventral view - close-up - microscope low magnification - silver backgroundImage 2: Male - mouthparts - ventral view - close-up - microscope low magnification - silver backgroundImage 3: Male - ventral view - close-up - microscope low magnification - silver background
2: Ixodes ricinus (Sheep Tick, Pasture Tick, Castor Bean Tick, Deer Tick)
18 Jun 2015 OSGR: SU81 50° 50’ N, 0° 50’ W Vice County: West Sussex (VC 13) England
Male, swept off 30cm tall downland sward
Image 1: Male - dorsal view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 2: Male - dorsal view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 3: Male - ventral view - highly enlarged - silver background
3: Ixodes ricinus (Sheep Tick, Pasture Tick, Castor Bean Tick, Deer Tick)
17 Aug 2011 OSGR: SU56 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Female, on patio table cover, in garden
Image 1: Female - dorsal view - close-up - magnifiedImage 2: Female - dorsal view - highly enlarged - white backgroundImage 3: Female - ventral view - close-up - magnified
4: Ixodes ricinus (Sheep Tick, Pasture Tick, Castor Bean Tick, Deer Tick)
23 Aug 2005 OSGR: NH70 57° 0’ N, 4° 0’ W Vice County: East Inverness-shire (VC 96) Scotland
Nymph, biting human
Image 1: With mouthparts embedded in skin - close-up - highly enlargedImage 2: With mouthparts embedded in skin - highly enlargedImage 3: With mouthparts embedded in skin - highly enlarged (2)
5: Ixodes ricinus (Sheep Tick, Pasture Tick, Castor Bean Tick, Deer Tick)
15 Jun 2002 OSGR: SU36 51° 20’ N, 1° 30’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Female adult, on Woody Nightshade
Image 1: Female - dorsal view - cleared specimen - magnifiedImage 2: Female - dorsal view - dry - magnifiedImage 3: Female - dorsal view - water mount - magnifiedImage 4: Female - ventral view - cleared specimen - magnifiedImage 5: Female - ventral view - dry - close-up - magnifiedImage 6: Female - ventral view - dry - magnifiedImage 7: Female - ventral view - water mount - magnifiedImage 8: Female - cephalothorax - dorsal view - cleared specimen - microscope low magnificationImage 9: Female - cephalothorax - ventral view - cleared specimen - microscope low magnificationImage 10: Female - cephalothorax - ventral view - cleared specimen - microscope low magnification (2)Image 11: Female - hypostome - ventral view - cleared specimen - microscope low magnification
6: Ixodes ricinus (Sheep Tick, Pasture Tick, Castor Bean Tick, Deer Tick)
15 Jun 2002 OSGR: SU36 51° 20’ N, 1° 30’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Male adult, on Woody Nightshade
Image 1: Male - dorsal view - dry - magnifiedImage 2: Male - dorsal view - water mount - magnifiedImage 3: Male - ventral view - dry - magnifiedImage 4: Male - ventral view - water mount - magnifiedImage 5: Male - close-up - dorsal view - cleared specimen - magnifiedImage 6: Male - close-up - ventral view - cleared specimen - magnifiedImage 7: Male - hypostome - ventral view - cleared specimen - magnified

Identification Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
Christian, A. 2010 Tick infestation (Ixodes) on feral Mink (Neovison vison) in central Germany Soil Organisms Vol 82 (2): 209-216.

Ixodes ricinus (Sheep Tick, Pasture Tick, Castor Bean Tick, Deer Tick) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Ixodes ricinus (Sheep Tick, Pasture Tick, Castor Bean Tick, Deer Tick)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 37 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Ixodes ricinus (Sheep Tick, Pasture Tick, Castor Bean Tick, Deer Tick)

By far the commonest tick that will be casually encountered in Britain and NW Europe feeding on many kinds of wild and domestic animals. It will also attach to humans where it is notorious as the vector of the spirochaete Borrelia burgdorfei, the cause of Lyme’s Disease. It has also been reported as carrying a long list of animal diseases, including those caused by viruses, rickettsiae, bacteria and protozoa.

References:
Author & YearTitleSource
Hillyard, P.D., 1996Ticks of North-West EuropeSynopses of the British Fauna (New Series), 52, 178pp, Field Studies Council
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