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Title: Ixodidae ticks in the megapolis of Kyiv, Ukraine

Author
item ROGOVSKYY, ARTEM - Texas A&M University
item NEBOGATKIN, IGOR - National Academy Of Sciences Of Ukraine
item Scoles, Glen

Submitted to: Ticks and Tick Borne Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/9/2016
Publication Date: 10/14/2016
Citation: Rogovskyy, A.S., Nebogatkin, I.V., Scoles, G.A. 2016. Ixodidae ticks in the megapolis of Kyiv, Ukraine. Ticks and Tick Borne Diseases. 8(1):99-102.

Interpretive Summary: The aim of the current work was to investigate the distribution of Ixodid ticks in Kyiv, the largest and most densely populated city in Ukraine. Ticks in the family Ixodidae include most common tick species encountered in Europe and they transmit a variety of bacterial and protozoan agents of medical and veterinary significance. Ticks were collected during May, the month that had showed the highest abundance of ticks in the past, at various recreational areas where people are most likely to encounter them. Three different species of ticks were collected, two species, Dermacentor reticulatus and Ixodes ricinus, were very common and abundant, but a third, Rhipicephalus sanguineus was represented by only a single specimen. In addition to these new collections this paper presents for comparison data from 1985-2013, which were originally published in Russian or Ukrainian and therefore prior to summery here here have not been readily available to English-speaking scientific community. The collection of a single specimen of R. sanguineus, the brown dog tick, in Kyiv represents a new geographic record and may be incidental.

Technical Abstract: The Ixodidae include the most common tick species encountered in Europe. The ticks transmit a variety of bacterial and protozoan agents of medical and veterinary significance. The aim of the current work was to investigate distribution of Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus ticks in Kyiv, the largest and most densely populated megapolis of Ukraine. Ticks were collected at various recreational areas by flagging during May, the month that showed the highest tick abundance in the past. Sex distribution among I. ricinus ticks was relatively equal, whereas females were collected in higher numbers for D. reticulatus. As opposed to western and central Europe where nymphal ticks had been more abundant, the nymph:adult ratio for I. ricinus was reversed. Also, this report documents detection of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.) in Kyiv region, well outside of its historically documented distribution area. Previously thought to be restricted to the southern Ukraine, a single male specimen of R. sanguineus s.l. was collected just outside the city limits. Data on tick diversity over the past 30 years, however, indicates that this finding may only be incidental.