The Eurasian shrew and vole tick Ixodes trianguliceps : geographical distribution, climate preference, and pathogens detected

The Eurasian shrew and vole tick Ixodes trianguliceps Birula lives in the nests and burrows of its small mammalian hosts and is—along with larvae and nymphs of Ixodes ricinus or Ixodes persulcatus —one of the most commonly collected tick species from these hosts in its Eurasian range. Ixodes trianguliceps is a proven vector of Babesia microti . In this study, up-to-date maps depicting the geographical distribution and the climate preference of I. trianguliceps are presented. A dataset was compiled, resulting in 1161 georeferenced locations in Eurasia. This data set covers the entire range of I. trianguliceps for the first time. The distribution area between 8 ^∘ W–105 ^∘ E and 40–69 ^∘ N extends from Northern Spain to Western Siberia. To investigate the climate adaptation of I. trianguliceps , the georeferenced locations were superimposed on a high-resolution map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification. The Köppen profile for I. trianguliceps , i.e., a frequency distribution of the tick occurrence under different climates, shows two peaks related to the following climates: warm temperate with precipitation all year round (Cfb), and boreal with warm or cold summers and precipitation all year round (Dfb, Dfc). Almost 97