Squirrel Tick
Ixodes marxi
This record describes Ixodes marxi (species). Recorded family: Ixodidae. Recorded order: Ixodida.
Identification and Appearance
This is one of the species of ticks that has been known to carry Powassan virus, an occasional cause of viral encephalitis in humans (see Internet References).
Classification
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada.
About Ticks: the wider group
Order-level background for Ixodida, the group containing Ixodes marxi. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Ixodida (ticks) includes ~900 described species in two major families: hard ticks (Ixodidae, ~700 species) and soft ticks (Argasidae, ~200 species). Ticks can increase their body weight by 200-600× when engorged with blood.
Ecological role of the group
Ticks are obligate blood-feeding parasites at all life stages after hatching. A single female can lay 3,000-8,000 eggs. Ticks can transmit more different pathogens than any other arthropod group - including bacteria, viruses, and protozoa simultaneously.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Tick-borne diseases are the most common vector-borne illnesses in the U.S. - Lyme disease alone accounts for 82% of all tickborne disease reports (CDC). Annual cases more than doubled from 22,000 to 48,000 between 2004-2016. Tick-related economic losses in U.S. cattle alone exceed $3 billion annually.
Recorded sources for this group: CDC tick surveillance data, USDA veterinary entomology. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Squirrel Tick (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Ken Schneider