There are two species found in the UK and Europe ''D.reticulatus'' and ''D.marginatus'', the ornate sheep tick however this is absent from the UK. ''D.reticulatus'' is a three host tick found on meadows, pastures and forests in England and Wales. Adults will parasitise large mammals whilst larval and nymphal stages attack small mammals, insectivores and sometimes birds. The tick is known to transmit a number of disease in man and and veterinary species. ''D.reticulatus'' is responsible for transmitting ''[[Babesia]] canis'' in dogs, ''B.divergens'' and ''B.ovis''in cattle as well as Q fever (''[[Coxiella burnetti|C.burnetti]]''), tularemia, ''[[Brucella species|Brucella]]'', ''Anaplasma ovis'' and ''Rickettsia conorii'' the cause of Boutonneuse fever. In horse ''D.reticulatus'' is responsible for the transmission of ''Babesia caballi'' and ''B.equi''. | There are two species found in the UK and Europe ''D.reticulatus'' and ''D.marginatus'', the ornate sheep tick however this is absent from the UK. ''D.reticulatus'' is a three host tick found on meadows, pastures and forests in England and Wales. Adults will parasitise large mammals whilst larval and nymphal stages attack small mammals, insectivores and sometimes birds. The tick is known to transmit a number of disease in man and and veterinary species. ''D.reticulatus'' is responsible for transmitting ''[[Babesia]] canis'' in dogs, ''B.divergens'' and ''B.ovis''in cattle as well as Q fever (''[[Coxiella burnetti|C.burnetti]]''), tularemia, ''[[Brucella species|Brucella]]'', ''Anaplasma ovis'' and ''Rickettsia conorii'' the cause of Boutonneuse fever. In horse ''D.reticulatus'' is responsible for the transmission of ''Babesia caballi'' and ''B.equi''. |