ETI Emerging Pathogens, tick collection

Tick collection in the Pilis mountains – Gábor Földvári
Photos: Márton Kovács

English
The flag: a simple and efficient tool for field sampling of ticks
Looking for a host: a female sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus) and a much smaller larva of a different species (Haemaphysalis concinna)
Moving of the flag mechanically collects ticks waiting on the vegetation
Ticks can be picked up easily by forceps from the flag
Female sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus)
Ticks stored in alcohol can be later analysed for pathogens
A female sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus) is taken to the collection tube
Several tick species and developmental stages are collected in the tube that will later be separated under the microscope
Several tick species and developmental stages are collected in the tube that will later be separated under the microscope
Bycatch, a distant relative: a female wolf spider carrying her egg sac by attaching it to her spinneret
Gábor Földvári