Comments on controversial tick (Acari: Ixodida) species names and species described or resurrected from 2003 to 2008

There are numerous discrepancies in recent published lists of the ticks of the world. Here we review the controversial names, presenting evidence for or against their validity and excluding some altogether. We also address spelling errors and present a list of 17 species described or resurrected during the years 2003–2008. We consider the following 35 tick species names to be invalid: Argas fischeri Audouin, 1826, Ornithodoros boliviensis Kohls and Clifford, 1964, Ornithodoros steini (Schulze, 1935), Amblyomma acutangulatum Neumann, 1899, Amblyomma arianae Keirans and Garris, 1986, Amblyomma bibroni (Gervais, 1842), Amblyomma colasbelcouri (Santos Dias, 1958), Amblyomma concolor Neumann, 1899, Amblyomma cooperi Nuttall and Warburton, 1908, Amblyomma curruca Schulze, 1936, Amblyomma cyprium Neumann, 1899, Amblyomma decorosum (Koch, 1867), Amblyomma nocens Robinson, 1912, Amblyomma perpunctatum (Packard, 1869), Amblyomma striatum Koch, 1844, Amblyomma superbum Santos Dias, 1953, Amblyomma testudinis (Conil, 1877), Amblyomma trinitatis Turk, 1948, Dermacentor confractus (Schulze 1933), Dermacentor daghestanicus Olenev, 1928, Haemaphysalis himalaya Hoogstraal, 1966, Haemaphysalis vietnamensis Hoogstraal and Wilson, 1966, Hyalomma detritum Schulze, 1919, Ixodes apteridis Maskell, 1897, Ixodes donarthuri Santos Dias, 1980, Ixodes kempi Nuttall, 1913, Ixodes neotomae Cooley, 1944, Ixodes rangtangensis Teng, 1973, Ixodes robertsi Camicas, Hervy, Adam and Morel, 1998, Ixodes serrafreirei Amorim, Gazetta, Bossi and Linhares, 2003, Ixodes tertiarius Scudder, 1885, Ixodes uruguayensis Kohls and Clifford, 1967, Ixodes zealandicus Dumbleton, 1961, Ixodes zumpti Arthur, 1960 and Rhipicephalus camelopardalis Walker and Wiley, 1959. We consider the following 40 names valid: Argas delicatus Neumann, 1910, Argas vulgaris Filippova, 1961, Ornithodoros aragaoi Fonseca, 1960, Ornithodoros dugesi Mazzoti, 1943, Ornithodoros knoxjonesi Jones and Clifford, 1972, Ornithodoros marocanus Velu, 1919, Ornithodoros nattereri Warburton, 1927, Amblyomma beaurepairei Vogelsang and Santos Dias, 1953, Amblyomma crassipes (Neumann, 1901), Amblyomma echidnae Roberts, 1953, Amblyomma fuscum Neumann, 1907, Amblyomma orlovi (Kolonin, 1995), Amblyomma parkeri Fonseca and Arag?o, 1952, Amblyomma pseudoconcolor Arag?o, 1908, Bothriocroton oudemansi (Neumann, 1910), Bothriocroton tachyglossi (Roberts, 1953), Dermacentor abaensis Teng, 1963, Dermacentor confragus (Schulze 1933), Dermacentor ushakovae Filippova and Panova, 1987, Haemaphysalis anomaloceraea Teng, 1984, Haemaphysalis filippovae Bolotin, 1979, Haemaphysalis pavlovskyi Pospelova-Shtrom, 1935, Hyalomma excavatum Koch, 1844, Hyalomma isaaci Sharif, 1928, Hyalomma rufipes Koch, 1844, Hyalomma turanicum Pomerantzev, 1946, Ixodes arabukiensis Arthur, 1959, Ixodes boliviensis Neumann, 1904, Ixodes columnae Takada and Fujita, 1992, Ixodes maslovi Emel′yanova and Kozlovskaya, 1967, Ixodes sachalinensis Filippova, 1971, Ixodes siamensis Kitaoka and Suzuki, 1983, Ixodes sigelos Keirans, Clifford and Corwin, 1976, Ixodes succineus Weidner, 1964, Rhipicephalus aurantiacus Neumann, 1907, Rhipicephalus cliffordi Morel, 1965, Rhipicephalus pilans Schulze, 1935, Rhipicephalus pseudolongus Santos Dias, 1953, Rhipicephalus serranoi Santos Dias, 1950 and Rhipicephalus tetracornus Kitaoka and Suzuki, 1983.     

Phylogenetic analysis of ticks (Acari: Ixodida) using mitochondrial genomes and nuclear rRNA genes indicates that the genus Amblyomma is polyphyletic

Our understanding of the phylogenetic relationships among tick lineages has been limited by the lack of resolution provided by the most commonly used phylogenetic markers. Mitochondrial genomes are increasingly used to address controversial phylogenetic relationships. To date, the complete mitochondrial genomes of eleven tick species have been sequenced; however, only three of these species are metastriate ticks, the most speciose lineage of ticks. In this study, we present the nucleotide sequences of the complete mitochondrial genomes of five more species of metastriate ticks: Amblyomma elaphense, Amblyomma fimbriatum, Amblyomma sphenodonti, Bothriocroton concolor and Bothriocroton undatum. We use complete mitochondrial genome sequences to address the phylogenetic placement of two morphologically 'primitive' species -Am. elaphense and Am. sphenodonti - with respect to the genus Amblyomma. Our analysis of these five mitochondrial genomes with the other eleven tick mitochondrial genomes, as well as analysis of nuclear rRNA genes, provides strong evidence that the genus Amblyomma is polyphyletic with the inclusion of Am. sphenodonti and Am. elaphense. A new genus or two new genera may be required to describe Am. sphenodonti and Am. elaphense. It is also possible that these two species are sisters to two established genera, Bothriocroton in the case of Am. sphenodonti, and Haemaphysalis in the case of Am. elaphense. However, other arrangements of these taxa cannot be excluded with the current data. Thus, while Am. sphenodonti and Am. elaphense do not belong in the genus Amblyomma, the phylogenetic placement of these two species cannot be resolved without more data from metastriate ticks, either greater sampling of mitochondrial genomes, or a large data set of nuclear genes.     

The natural history of the sleepy lizard,Tiliqua rugosa (Gray, 1825) – Insight from chance observations and long‐term research on a common Australian skink species

In an effort to better understand the dynamics of the parapatric boundary in South Australia of the ticks Amblyomma limbatum and Bothriocroton hydrosauri the late Professor C. Michael Bull initiated studies into the ecology of sleepy lizards (Tiliqua rugosa), a common host of these parasites. These studies spanned a period of about 40 years and examined aspects such as monogamy, long‐term mate fidelity, social networks, personality, resource use and the transmission of parasites and other pathogens. This review incorporates the results of these studies with other information about this species to provide a comprehensive overview of its natural history, highlighting not only what is known, but also indicates areas that require further study.     

An updated list of the ticks of Ghana and an assessment of the distribution of the ticks of Ghanaian wild mammals in different vegetation zones

Twenty one species of ticks belonging to five genera of the family Ixodidae (Order Acari, sub-order Ixodida) - Amblyomma, Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma, Ixodes and Rhipicephalus (including the sub-genus Rhipicephalus (Boophilus)) - were collected from 1260 mammals, representing 29 species, 14 families and 6 orders, in four vegetation zones in Ghana during the period 1971-1978. Four other species were collected from humans in 1977. In all, eight species appeared to be new records for Ghana: Amblyomma tholloni Neumann; Dermacentor circumguttatus Neumann; Haemaphysalis houyi Nuttall & Warburton; Ixodes loveridgei Arthur; Ixodes oldi Nuttall; Ixodes vanidicus Schultze; Rhipicephalus complanatus Neumann; Rhipicephalus cuspidatus Neumann. The updated list of tick species in Ghana given here includes 41 species of ixodid ticks and four species of argasid ticks. Most species have been found in neighbouring regions of West Africa but 56 of the 121 different combinations of ixodid tick species and host species found in the collection described here have not apparently been reported before. The new combinations recorded here bring the total number of different combinations of ixodid tick species and mammalian host species now reported in Ghana to 151. The tick species found on wild mammals in Ghana mostly differed from those reported from domestic stock by other authors. The data showed that different tick species occurred in different vegetation zones and that most species displayed a pronounced preference for certain groups of related host species. Some tick species were found in the savanna feeding mainly on large bovids and/or suids; others were found in forests feeding mainly on small bovids, large rodents or small carnivores.     

Biology and life cycle of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Amblyomma incisum</Emphasis> (Acari: Ixodidae)

Amblyomma incisum Neumann is a major tick species in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Tapir is the main host for adult ticks and a high aggressiveness of nymphs to humans has been reported. In this work data on the biology and life cycle of this tick species is presented for the first time. It was shown that horse is a suitable host for A. incisum adults and rabbit for larvae and nymphs. It was also shown that A. incisum is a big tick species (mean engorged female weight of 1.96 g) with a long life cycle which lasts 262.3 days when maintained at 27°C and 85% RH. These laboratory conditions were, however, inappropriate and egg hatching rate (1.2%) was very low. Nevertheless egg hatching of ticks in a forest patch increased considerably (72.2%) indicating that this A. incisum population is highly dependent on a forest-like environment.     

Resistance and cross-resistance in guinea-pigs and rabbits to immature stages of ixodid ticks

Infestation of guinea-pigs and rabbits with larvae of any one of five species of ticks, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Neumann, Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi Neumann, Amblyomma hebrauem Koch, Amblyomma variegatum Fabricius and Ixodes ricinus L., conferred resistance in the animals when exposed to subsequent infestations with the same tick species. Resistance to infestations by other tick species was not observed.     

Ticks (Acari: Ixodoidea: Argasidae, Ixodidae) of Chile

The tick species recorded from Chile can be listed under the following headings: (1) endemic or established: Argas keiransi Estrada-Peña, Venzal and Gonzalez-Acuña, A. neghmei Kohls and Hoogstraal; Ornithodoros amblus Chamberlin; Otobius megnini (Dugès); Amblyomma parvitarsum Neumann; A. tigrinum Koch; Ixodes auritulus Neumann; I. chilensis Kohls; I. cornuae Arthur, I. sigelos Keirans, Clifford and Corwin; I. stilesi Neumann; I. uriae White; Rhipicephalus sanguineus Koch. (2) Probably established or endemic: Argas miniatus Koch; Ornithodoros spheniscus Hoogstraal, Wassef, Hays and Keirans; Ixodes abrocomae Lahille; I. neuquenensis Ringuelet; I. pararicinus Keirans and Clifford. (3) Doubtfully established: Argas reflexus Fabricius; Ornithodoros talaje (Guérin-Méneville). (4) Exotic: Amblyomma argentinae Neumann; A. latum Koch, Rhipicephalus (=Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini). (5) Erroneously identified as present in Chile: Amblyomma americanum (Linnaeus); A. maculatum Koch; A. varium Koch; Ixodes conepati Cooley and Kohls; I. frontalis (Panzer); I. ricinus (Linnaeus); Margaropus winthemi Karsch. (6) Nomina nuda: Argas reticulatus Gervais; Amblyomma inflatum Neumann; Ixodes lagotis Gervais. Hosts and localities (including new records) are presented. Argas neghmei, O. amblus, O. megnini, I. uriae and R. sanguineus may cause severe injury to their hosts, including humans. The Chilean Ixodes fauna is unique to the Neotropical Zoogeographic Region, and additional research is needed in order to understand the biological importance of these species.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with a corrected cover date.     

Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) of the state of Amazonas,Brazil

The tick fauna of Brazil is currently composed by 72 species. The state of Amazonas is the largest of Brazil, with an area of ≈ 19% of the Brazilian land. Besides its vast geographic area, only 19 tick species have been reported for Amazonas. Herein, lots containing ticks from the state of Amazonas were examined in three major tick collections from Brazil. A total of 5933 tick specimens were examined and recorded, comprising 2693 males, 1247 females, 1509 nymphs, and 484 larvae. These ticks were identified into the following 22 species: Amblyomma cajennense sensu lato, Amblyomma calcaratum, Amblyomma coelebs, Amblyomma dissimile, Amblyomma dubitatum, Amblyomma geayi, Amblyomma goeldii, Amblyomma humerale, Amblyomma latepunctatun, Amblyomma longirostre, Amblyomma naponense, Amblyomma oblongoguttatum, Amblyomma ovale, Amblyomma rotundatum, Amblyomma scalpturatum, Amblyomma varium, Dermacentor nitens, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi, Ixodes cf. Ixodes fuscipes, Ixodes luciae, Rhipicephalus microplus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato. Ticks were collected from 17 (27.4%) out of the 62 municipalities that currently compose the state of Amazonas. The following four species are reported for the first time in the state of Amazonas: A. coelebs, A. dubitatum, H. juxtakochi, and Ixodes cf. I. fuscipes. The only tick species previously reported for Amazonas and not found in the present study is Amblyomma parvum. This study provides a great expansion of geographical and host records of ticks for the state of Amazonas, which is now considered to have a tick fauna composed by 23 species. It is noteworthy that we report 1391 Amblyomma nymphs that were identified to 13 different species.     

Relative abundance of Amblyomma spp. (Acari: Ixodidae) in bovines (Bos taurus and B. indicus) from Costa Rica

The research describe the big amount of ticks of the Amblyomma genus, found on bovines through monthly samplings carried out in ten farms in eight ecological zones (EZ) of Costa Rica. Ticks larger than 4 mm were picked up from the right side of the animals during the visit. The study compiled meteorological information for some farms located in the experiment, showing that the most fluctuant variable is rainfall. The most important Amblyomma species found was A. cajennense. Amblyomma nymphs were found only from January to May, which coincides with the lower humidity season in the rain seasonality area; as for it is expected only one generation per year. In the lab work Amblyomma nymphs are kept to measure the moulting season and the surviving time under controlled conditions, but no major differences were found between both sexes. The surviving periods show that it is not possible to do a grazing land handling, in order to control this genus species. Adults of the genus Amblyomma are present through all the year, not showing any specific preference for a season. The research divided the investigation areas in rain seasonability and not-seasonality systems. The highest amount of Amblyomma is found given in the rain seasonality system or of pacific influence. A. maculatum is present only in the EZ of Tropical Humid Forest transition to pre-mountainous. Likewise, Ixodes boliviensis is found in the EZ of low mountainous Very Humid Forest.     

Dramatic phenotypic plasticity within species of Siphomutabilus n. g. (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) from Indo-Pacific caesionines (Perciformes: Lutjanidae)

A survey of Indo-Pacific lutjanids of the subfamily Caesioninae revealed the presence of Siphodera gurukun Machida, 1910 and two new cryptogonimid taxa from off Heron and Lizard Islands on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia and Rasdhoo Atoll, Maldives. A combined morphological and genetic characterisation of these species shows that they form a clade distinct from the type-species of Siphodera Linton, 1910, S. vinaledwardsii (Linton, 1901), and warrants the proposal of a new genus. Here we propose Siphomutabilus n. g. and transfer Siphodera gurukun Machida, 1986 as the type-species, Siphomutabilus gurukun (Machida, 1986) n. comb. Siphodera aegyptensis Hassanine & Gibson, 2005 is transferred to Siphomutabilus as S. aegyptensis (Hassanine & Gibson, 2005) n. comb. based on morphological and ecological similarities. Siphomutabilus raritas n. sp. is described from Caesio cuning (Bloch) off Lizard Island and S. bitesticulatus n. sp. is described from Pterocaesio marri Schultz off Heron Island. The two new species are unique in that they have two testes, making their morphology broadly consistent with that of Metadena Linton, 1910, yet the molecular analyses conducted here indicates that they are unequivocally united with Siphomutabilus gurukun (which has multiple testes) to the exclusion of Metadena lutiani (Yamaguti, 1942), which was sequenced here. The dramatic phenotypic plasticity observed among such closely related species of Siphomutabilus suggests a secondary modification of what is generally considered a robust generic diagnostic character within this and other digenean families, highlighting the need for a combined morphological and molecular diagnostic approach when characterising these taxa. Siphodera Linton, 1910 is amended to include just two species, the type-species S. vinaledwardsii (Linton, 1901) Linton, 1910 and S. cirrhiti Yamaguti, 1970, which are distinguished by their lack of oral spines and multiple testes that are primarily extracaecal. Siphodera ghanensis Fischthal & Thomas, 1968 is considered a species incertae sedis here based on significant morphological and ecological differences compared with species of Siphodera and Siphomutabilus n. g.     

Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) parasitizing humans in an Atlantic rainforest reserve of Southeastern Brazil with notes on host suitability

While conducting projects on ticks from deer and on tick ecology in animal trails in an Atlantic rainforest reserve in Southeastern Brazil, researchers of our group were bitten by ticks several times. Some of these episodes were recorded. Three species of adult ticks attached to humans: Amblyomma brasiliense Aragão, Amblyomma incisum Neumann, and Amblyomma ovale Koch. Eight nymphal attachments with engorgement on humans were recorded. From these, six molted to adults of A. incisum, one to an adult of A. brasiliense, and one had an anomalous molting, therefore the adult tick could not be properly identified. Local reactions to tick attachment varied among individual hosts from almost imperceptible to intense. Especially itching, but hyperemia and swelling as well, were prominent features of the reaction. Overall it can be affirmed that human beings can be a physiologically suitable host species for ticks in the Atlantic rainforest and that itching was an important if not the major component of the resistance to tick bite.     

Migratory songbirds disperse ticks across Canada, and first isolation of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, from the avian tick, Ixodes auritulus

During a 3-yr comprehensive study, 196 ixodid ticks (9 species) were collected from 89 passerine birds (32 species) from 25 localities across Canada to determine the distribution of avian-associated tick species and endogenous Lyme disease spirochetes, Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt, and Brenner. We report the following first records of tick parasitism on avian hosts: the rabbit-associated tick, Ixodes dentatus Marx, from Manitoba and Ontario; the mouse tick, Ixodes muris Bishopp and Smith, from British Columbia; and the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say, from New Brunswick. Moreover, we provide the first record of the Neotropical tick, Amblyomma humerale Koch (1 nymph), in Canada and its parasitism of any bird. This tick was compared morphologically with nymphs of other Neotropical Amblyomma spp., and genetically, using a 344-bp fragment of the 12S rDNA sequence of 41 New World Amblyomma species. The first collections of the western blacklegged tick, Ixodes pacificus Cooley and Kohls, from passerine species in Alberta and British Columbia, are also reported. Notably, we further report the first isolation of B. burgdorferi from the bird tick, Ixodes auritulus Neumann, collected from an American robin, Turdus migratorius L., on Vancouver Island. Furthermore, B. burgdorferi-positive I. auritulus larvae were collected from a reservoir-competent fox sparrow, Passerella iliaca (Merrem). Our findings indicate that ground-dwelling passerines, in particular, are parasitized by certain ixodid ticks and play an important role across Canada in the wide dispersal of B. burgdorferi-infected ticks and increased risk of Lyme disease exposure.     

The geographic distribution and ecological preferences of the American dog tick,Dermacentor variabilis (Say), in the U.S.A.

Equine piroplasmosis (EP), caused by two parasitic organisms, Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, is a tick‐borne disease of recent concern in horses in the U.S.A. Outbreaks of EP have been detected in Florida, Missouri, Kansas and Texas. In 2009, EP transmission in Texas occurred through the adults of two tick species, Amblyomma mixtum [formerly known as Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787)] Koch (Ixodida: Ixodidae) and Dermacentor variabilis (Say) (Ixodida: Ixodidae), the American dog tick (ADT). In this study, we developed a continent‐scale map for the distribution of the EP vector species D. variabilis, using a presence‐only modelling approach to assess the habitat preferences of this tick. We used identification records from our tick geodatabase of locations in which the presence of the ADT had been noted. The potential distribution of the ADT in the U.S.A. was estimated from environmental factors using the maximum entropy approach based on localities in which there is a high probability of occurrence according to habitat suitability. Elevation and temperature were found to be biologically significant environmental variables influencing the presence of this tick species. Properly designed and constructed probability surfaces using maximum entropy offer one useful approach to the mapping of distribution ranges of tick species based on suitable habitat in the U.S.A.     

The taxonomy of the family Paramphistomidae Fischoeder, 1901 with special reference to the morphology of species occurring in ruminants. V. Revision of the genus Cotylophoron Stiles & Goldberger, 1910

Summary Only seven species of the genus Cotylophoron Stiles & Goldberger, 1910 are considered valid, namely C. cotylophorum (Fischoeder, 1901) Stiles & Goldberger, 1910 (type species); C. jacksoni N?smark, 1937; C. fuelleborni N?smark, 1937; C. panamensis Price and McIntosh, 1953; C. bareilliensis Mukherjee & Chauhan, 1965; C. macrosphinctris Sey & Graber, 1979 and C. xiangjiangense Wang, 1979. These are redescribed and illustrated. Scanning electron photomicrographs of the tegumental surfaces of some species are provided. C. guangdongense Wang, 1979 is considered a synonym of C. cotylophorum (Fischoeder, 1901) Stiles & Goldberger 1910, and C. indicum of N?smark, 1937 (not of Stiles & Goldberger, 1910) and C. noveboracensis Price & McIntosh, 1953 are considered synonyms of C. fuelleborni N?smark, 1937. C. ottoi Gupta & Bakhshi in Gupta & Nakhasi, 1977 is regarded as a species inquirenda. A key to the species of the genus is given. Part of a thesis approved by the University of London for the award of the Ph.D degree.     

Spotted fever group Rickettsia infecting ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil

During 2006-2008, a total of 260 adult ticks were collected from domestic and wild animals in different regions of the state of Santa Catarina (SC), Brazil, including areas where human cases of Brazilian spotted fever have been reported. Collected ticks belonging to nine species (Amblyomma aureolatum, Amblyomma cajennense, Amblyomma dubitatum, Amblyomma longirostre, Amblyomma ovale, Amblyomma tigrinum, Dermacentor nitens, Rhipicephalus microplus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus) were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for rickettsial infection. Overall, eight (3.1%) ticks were found to be infected with Rickettsia species. After sequencing the PCR products, we determined that the sequences generated from three A. aureolatum, one A. ovale and one R. sanguineus from the municipality of Blumenau, one A. ovale from the municipality of águas Mornas and one A. ovale from the municipality of Urussanga were identical to the corresponding partial rickettsial ompA gene sequence of Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest. The sequence generated from one A. longirostre from Blumenau was 100% identical to the corresponding partial rickettsial ompA gene sequence of Rickettsia amblyommii strain AL. Because R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest was recently shown to have caused two cases of human spotted fever in other states of Brazil, the role of this rickettsial agent as a possible etiological agent of spotted fever in SC is discussed.     

Amblyomma aureolatum and Ixodes auritulus (Acari: Ixodidae) on birds in southern Brazil, with notes on their ecology

Between January 1999 and December 2000, 876 bird specimens were captured in three different ecological environments from the Reinhard Maack Park, Curitiba, State of Paraná, southern Brazil. A total of 142 birds (16.2%) were infested with Amblyomma aureolatum (Pallas 1772) (N=699) and/or Ixodes auritulus Neumann, 1904 (N=18) ticks. Questing A. aureolatum nymphs (N=2) and adults (N=5) were also collected from the soil and the vegetation. None of the I. auritulus were collected off-host. We collected only immatures of A. aureolatum on birds, but all life stages of I. auritulus. The latter species was collected on Turdus rufiventris and on Synallaxis ruficapilla, which is herein recognized as a host of I. auritulus for the first time. Moreover, this is also the first report of A. aureolatum infesting birds, and 16 different bird species were found infested. It was observed that larval infestation was positively correlated with the dry and cold season, while nymphal infestation was positively correlated with the warm and rainy season. Although only 2-years worth of data is provided, our results suggest the infestation of birds by ticks was significantly higher at the biotopes formed by forest at its first stage of regeneration 'capoeira' and the original Araucaria forest habitat 'mata' than the ecotone between forest and urban areas 'peripheral area'.     

Shifts in the distribution of ixodid ticks parasitizing cattle in Zimbabwe

In an attempt to update information on the ecological distribution of ixodid ticks (Ixodida: Ixodidae) in Zimbabwe, a cross‐sectional survey was carried out between September 2013 and May 2015 at 322 dip tanks. A total of 15 tick species were collected, namely: Amblyomma hebraeum Koch (65.2%, n = 210/322), Amblyomma variegatum Fabricius (14.9%, n = 48/322), Hyalomma rufipes Koch (62.4%, n = 201/322), Hyalomma truncatum Koch (37.9%, n = 122/322), Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Neumann (60.6%, n = 195/322), Rhipicephalus compositus Neumann (0.3%, n = 1/322,), Rhipicephalus decoloratus Koch (61.8%, n = 199/322), Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi Neumann (65.2%, n = 210/322), Rhipicephalus lunulatus Neumann (4%, n = 13/322), Rhipicephalus microplus Canestrini (32%, n = 103/322), Rhipicephalus near punctatus Walker and Horak (7.1%, n = 23/322), Rhipicephalus simus Koch (5.6%, n = 18/322) and Rhipicephalus cf. turanicus Pomerantsev (3.4%, n = 11/322). Compared with previous surveys, changes in the distribution of A. hebraeum, A. variegatum and R. microplus were recorded. The distributions of other tick species have largely remained unchanged. Factors which might have influenced these changes and the possible impacts on the epidemiology of tick‐borne diseases are discussed.