A systematic investigation on the ticks (Acari: Ixodida) of the domestic sheep in Niğde Province, Turkey

The present study identified 881 specimens of the ticks found on about 2000 domestic sheep in Niğde Province. During this investigation, Argasidae (Ornithodoros (Alveonasus) lahorensis) and eight Ixodidae species of (Dermacentor (Serdjukovia) marginatus, D. (S.) niveus, Haemaphysalis (Haemaphysalis) concinna, H. (Alloceraea) inermis, H. (Segalia) parva, H. (Aboimisalis) punctata, H. (Herpetobia) sulcata, and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus) were determined. The distribution at the genera level of the samples are as follows: Haemaphysalis 73.2 %, Ornithodoros 16.1 %, Dermacentor 10.2 %, and Rhipicephalus 0.45 %. H. sulcata was the most common species with 256 specimens(29.1 %), and H. concinna was the rarest species with only one specimen (0.1 %). D. niveus was recorded for the first time from Niğde Province. Besides, the seasonality and taxonomic status of the recorded species are discussed in the current article.