Virology

Ecology

Spirochaete

Biochemistry

Ixodes ricinus

Bacteria

Biology

Zoology

Gene

Host (biology)

Vector (molecular biology)

Ixodes

Recombinant DNA

Botany

Lyme disease

Tick

Tick-borne disease

Ricinus

Genetics

Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases

Prior to its identification as the vector of Lyme borreliosis spirochaetes in Europe in 1983, interest in Ixodes ricinus (L.) was moderate and mainly concerned the transmission of pathogens to farm animals and of tick-borne encephalitis virus to humans. The situation now is very different, and more papers have been published on I. ricinus than on any other ixodid tick species. However, this large literature is scattered and in recent years has become dominated by the molecular detection and characterization of the many pathogens that I. ricinus transmits. Several decades have now elapsed since a review addressing its basic biology and ecology appeared, and the present publication seeks to present basic aspects of its biology and ecology that are related to its role as a vector of disease agents, including its life cycle, feeding behaviour, host relations, survival off the host, and the impact of weather and climate.

The biology of Ixodes ricinus with emphasis on its ecology