Ticks parasitizing songbirds in Iran with new host records (Metastigmata: Ixodidae)

The present study investigates the occurrence and the identification of tick species infesting wild songbirds in northern Iran. During the period from ۲۰۱۵ to ۲۰۱۶, ۳۴۲ songbirds belonging to ۱۵ families and ۳۷ species were captured and examined for tick infestation. Of which, ۷۰ specimens were infested by ticks representing a ۲۰.۴۶% infestation rate. Four tick species detached from examined birds and identified as follow: Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus, ۱۷۵۸), I. lividus Koch, ۱۸۴۴, Hyalomma sp., and Rhipicephalus sp. The most common one was I. ricinus. In all infected birds, collected ticks were in immature stages and the number of specimens of the larval stage was more than in the nymphal stage, and no adult tick was found. Following songbirds were introduced as new hosts: Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia (Linnaeus, ۱۷۶۶), Chestnut-shouldered Petronia Gymnoris xanthocollis (Burton, E, ۱۸۳۸), Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais pallida (Hemprich & Ehrenberg, ۱۸۳۳), Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra Linnaeus, ۱۷۵۸, Common Mynah Acridotheres tristis (Linnaeus, ۱۷۶۶), Eastern Pied Wheatear Oenanthe picata (Blyth, ۱۸۴۷), Pied Wheatear O. pleschanka (Lepechin, ۱۷۷۰), Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsoleta (Lichtenstein, MHC, ۱۸۲۳), Fire-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus (Pallas, ۱۸۱۱), and Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva (Bechstein, ۱۷۹۲) for I. ricinus.