Molecular characterisation of three Ixodes (Pholeoixodes) species (Ixodida, Ixodidae) and the first record of Ixodes (Pholeoixodes) kaiseri from Slovakia

A study of ticks on wildlife was carried out in the area of Levice, Bratislava, Stupava, and Vrbovce (south-western Slovakia) during 2021 and 2022. Overall, 512 ticks were collected from 51 individuals of six wild mammalian species. Eight tick species were identified, namely Dermacentorreticulatus, D.marginatus, Haemaphysalisinermis, H.concinna, Ixodesricinus, I.hexagonus, and two Ixodes spp. Ixodeshexagonus were collected from northern white-breasted hedgehogs (Erinaceusroumanicus), females belonging to Ixodes spp. were collected from red fox (Vulpesvulpes) and nymphs from European badger (Melesmeles). Ixodeshexagonus and the Ixodes spp. were identified morphologically and molecularly based on sequences of fragments of two mitochondrial genes, COI and 16S rRNA. Molecular analysis of Ixodes spp. confirmed the identity of Ixodeskaiseri Arthur, 1957 and I.canisuga (Johnston, 1849). Sequence analyses show that the I.kaiseri isolate from Slovakia is identical to I.kaiseri isolates from Romania, Poland, Germany, Turkey, and Croatia. We demonstrate for the first time the presence of I.kaiseri in Slovakia using both morphological and molecular methods.