Castor Bean Tick - Ixodes ricinus
Wood Tick
A species of hard bodied tick that may reach a length of 11 mm when engorged with a blood meal. Detailed examination is necessary for the safe identification of this species.
Rough grassland and woodland where suitable host species are present.
All year round.
Ixodes ricinus is a three-host tick: larvae, nymphs and adults feed on different hosts - whilst larvae and nymphs prefer small to medium-sized animals, adults tend to feed on large-sized animals. This tick species feeds on a broad range of mammals and birds and may bite humans.
Widely distributed throughout Britain and believed to be fairly frequent.
Status in Leicestershire and Rutland not known.
Leicestershire & Rutland Map
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Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020
UK Map
Species profile
- Common names
- Sheep Tick, Castor Bean Tick, Pasture Tick
- Species group:
- Mites, Ticks & Pseudoscorpions
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
- Order:
- Ixodida
- Family:
- Ixodidae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 2
- First record:
- 31/08/2017 (Mabbett, Craig)
- Last record:
- 24/07/2019 (Timms, Sue)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
10km squares with records
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