Ixodes ricinus
| Ixodes ricinus | |
|---|---|
| Ixodes ricinus complete view (starved) | |
| Close-up view (engorged) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Ixodida |
| Family: | Ixodidae |
| Genus: | Ixodes |
| Species: | I. ricinus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ixodes ricinus | |
| Range of I. ricinus (marked in red) in western Eurasia and North Africa | |
Ixodes ricinus, commonly known as the castor bean tick, the sheep ked, sheep tick, is a chiefly European species of hard-bodied tick. It may reach a length of 11 mm (0.43 in) when engorged with a blood meal, and can transmit both bacterial and viral pathogens such as the causative agents of Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis.