Ixodes ricinus Hard Bodied Tick Mite Parasite Arachnida Ixodidae

Ixodes ricinus mm 6-11 Hard-Bodied Tick Mite Parasite Arachnida Ixodidae.
Order: Acarina, Family: Ixodidae.
Common name: Castor Bean Tick, Sheep Tick, Deer Tick.
Syn. Ixodes inopinatus, Ixodes rufus, Ixodes sulcatus, Acarus reduvius, Acarus ricinus, Ixoes reduvius, Ixodes sciuri.

The Castor Bean Tick (Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus, 1758)) is an Arachnid, a species of Mite of the Ixodidae family. It is a bloodsucker present in all temperate zones.
It is found throughout Italy, with rare reports in Sardinia. Its spread requires suitable hosts and a microclimate with sufficient rainfall.
The parasite presents a sexual dimorphism, with females being larger (4-10 mm) than males. The mouthparts are composed of rostrum, palps, chelicerae, salivary glands which secrete cementing, anticoagulant and vasoconstrictor substances to facilitate blood feeding on the host. There are three pairs of limbs in the larval stage, four in the subsequent stage. The developmental stages are divided into larva, nymph and adult. At each meal the tick detaches itself and molts in the environment; it later searches for another host to feed on. The larval stages feed on hosts other than those required by the adults. The former look for small mammals and insectivores (birds, lizards); adult females and nymphs use larger mammals, including humans, as hosts. The adult male does not feed. In larvae the exoskeleton is formed by a thin layer of cuticle, which thickens with development. In the adult female the chitinous shield covers only the anterior part to allow the abdomen to expand during feeding.
Protozoa and bacteria can develop in the salivary glands which are dangerous for the host, even for humans. In the regions of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, Liguria and Emilia-Romagna, the risk of contracting Lyme disease and meningoencephalitis (TBE) following tick bites is high.
In sheep it can also transmit ovine encephalomyelitis.