213
1. Introduction
There are 16 tick species (Acarina: Ixodidae) distributed 
across Slovenia (Tovornik 1987a, c, 1988a, b, c, 1989, 
1990a & 1991, PMSL–Ixodidae 2004). Nine of these 
have been found on birds (Tovornik 1990a & 1991, 
PMSL-Ixodidae 2004). 
Ticks in Slovenia were investigated in the second 
half of the 20th century (around 1950 – 1991) by 
Dr. Danica Tovornik, with special attention on the 
medical importance of Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus, 1758) 
(Rosický et al. 1961, Tovornik 1961 & 1987b), the 
geographical distribution of Ixodes hexagonus Leach, 
1815 (Tovornik 1987a), Ixodes trianguliceps Birula, 
1895 (Tovornik 1988a), Rhipicephalus sanguineus 
(Latreille, 1806) complex (Tovornik 1988b, Tovornik 
& Vesenjak-Hirjan 1988), Ixodes vespertilionis Koch, 
1844 (Tovornik 1990b), Ixodes frontalis (Panzer, 1795) 
and Ixodes arboricola Schultze & Schlottke, 1929 
(Tovornik 1991), and the host significance of birds 
(Tovornik 1990a), lacertids Lacertidae (Tovornik 
& Brelih 1980), Roe-Deer Capreolus capreolus 
(Tovornik 1988c), Red Squirrel Sciurus vulgaris and 
Fat Dormouse Glis glis (Tovornik 1989).
This article is an overview of ticks recorded on 
birds in Slovenia based on literature and original data 
(PMSL-Ixodidae 2004).
2. Methods
Most of the material was collected between 1989 and 
2005. Ticks were hand picked from bird hosts during 
bird ringing fieldwork and collected from bird nests. 
Hand picked ticks were stored in the field in 70% 
ethanol, separately with respect to host individual, 
survey site, and date. Those from nests were collected 
free in nature, from nest boxes, or with suction sampler 
from the nesting burrows of Sand Martin Riparia 
riparia and Bee-eater Merops apiaster. The contents of 
the nests were transported from the field in airtight 
plastic bags to prevent the escape of any arthropods. 
They were placed over Berlese-Tullgren funnels 
Ticks (Acarina: Ixodidae) on birds in Slovenia
Klopi (Acarina: Ixodidae) na pticah v Sloveniji
Tomi Trilar
 Slovenian Museum of Natural History, Pre{ernova 20, P.O. Box 290, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia, e-mail: ttrilar@pms-lj.si
Kongres ornitologov Slovenije ob 25. obletnici DOPPS
Slovene Ornithologists’ Congress at the 25th anniversary of DOPPS – BirdLife Slovenia
Acrocephalus 25 (123): 213 – 216, 2004
(Southwood 1978) for five days for the collection of 
the arthropods.
The reference material is deposited in the Slovenian 
Museum of Natural History in Ljubljana (PMSL–
Ixodidae 2004).
3. Results and discussion
Ixodes ricinus is the most abundant and widespread of 
the tick species recorded in Slovenia (Tovornik 1988c, 
1989 & 1990a). Found on 69 bird species (Table 1), it is 
also the most common tick parasitising birds.
Birds are major hosts for all developmental 
stages of small Ixodes lividus, Ixodes frontalis and 
Ixodes arboricola ticks and for larvae and nymphs of 
Hyalomma marginatum. 
Ixodes lividus is specialised on Sand Martin 
(Hillyard 1996) and was found in the nesting 
burrows of Sand Martins at almost all the nesting sites 
surveyed (Figure 1). There were also two occasional 
findings on the Starling Sturnus vulgaris and Blackbird 
Turdus merula. Ixodes lividus is a new species recorded 
for Slovenia.
Figure 1: Findings of Ixodes lividus (dots), Ixodes frontalis 
(squares) and Ixodes arboricola (triangle) ticks in Slovenia
Slika 1: Najdbe breguljkinega Ixodes lividus (pike), pti~jega 
Ixodes frontalis (kvadrati) in duplarskega klopa Ixodes 
arboricola (trikotniki) v Sloveniji
214
Ixodes frontalis occurs on birds and in their nests 
(Hillyard 1996). In Slovenia it was found on five bird 
species (Figure 1, Table 1). Ixodes arboricola occurs on 
birds nesting in tree hollows (Hillyard 1996). It is a 
new species recorded for Slovenia (Figure 1, Table 1).
Hyalomma marginatum is an exception, as its 
development takes place on only two different hosts 
instead of three for other tick species in Slovenia 
(Hillyard 1996). The hosts of both larvae and 
nymphs are birds, while adults parasitise cattle. On 
metamorphosis nymphs remain on the host individual 
at the larval stage. H. marginatum is most probably 
extinct within its natural distribution range in Slovenia 
because of the complete abandonment of cattle grazing 
under the Kra{ki rob area. Larvae and nymphs of H. 
marginatum are introduced each spring to this area and 
to continental Slovenia by migrating birds (Table 1, 
Figure 2) from Mediterranean and North Africa. 
There were also occasional findings of Ixodes 
hexagonus, Ixodes canisuga and Ixodes acuminatus 
(Table 1).
Acknowledgements: I would like to thank Katarina 
Ale{, Andrej Bibi~, Franc Bra~ko, Igor Brajnik, Janez 
T. Trilar: Ticks (Acarina: Ixodidae) on birds in Slovenia
Tick species / vrsta klopa Bird host species / pti~ji gostitelj
Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus, 1758) Acrocephalus palustris*#, A. schoenobaenus*, A. scirpaceus*, 
Alectoris graeca#, Anthus pratensis*, A. spinoletta#, A. trivialis*#, 
Apus apus#, Asio otus*, Bonasa bonasia#, Buteo buteo#, Carduelis 
carduelis*#, C. chloris*#, Ciconia ciconia#, Coccothraustes 
coccothraustes*, Columba oenas#, C. livia domestica*, Corvus 
corone cornix#, Cuculus canorus#, Emberiza cia#, Erithacus 
rubecula*#, Fringilla coelebs*, F. montifringilla*#, Garrulus 
glandarius#, Hippolais icterina*, Hirundo rustica*, Jynx 
torquilla*, Lanius collurio*#, Locustella fluviatillis*, Lullua 
arborea*, Luscinia luscinia*, L. megarhynchos*#, Milvus 
milvus#, Motacilla cinerea#, Nucifraga caryocatactes#, Numenius 
arquata#, Oenanthe oenanthe#, Parus cristatus*, P. major*,  
P. montanus*, P. caeruleus*, Passer domesticus*, P.  montanus*, 
Phasianus colchicus*#, Phoenicurus ochruros*, P. phoenicurus*, 
Phylloscopus collybita*#, P. trochilus*, Pica pica#, Prunella 
modularis*#, Pyrrhula pyrrhula*#, Regulus regulus*, Riparia 
riparia*, Saxicola rubetra#, S. torquata*, Sitta europaea*, Strix 
aluco*, Sturnus vulgaris*#, Sylvia atricapilla*, S. borin#,  
S. communis*#, S. curruca*#, S. nisoria*, Tetrao tetrix*,  
T. urogallus#, Troglodytes troglodytes*, Turdus merula*,  
T. philomelos*, Vanellus vanellus*
Ixodes lividus Koch, 1844 Riparia riparia*, Sturnus vulgaris*, Turdus merula*
Ixodes frontalis (Panzer, 1795) Acrocephalus scirpaceus#•, Carduelis chloris*#•, Dendrocopos 
major#•, Emberiza leucocephala#, Garrulus glandarius#
Ixodes arboricola Schultze & Schlottke, 1929 Parus caeruleus*
Ixodes hexagonus Leach, 1815 Merops apiaster*
Ixodes canisuga Johnston, 1849 Sitta europaea*
Ixodes acuminatus Neumann, 1901 Turdus merula*
Hyalomma marginatum Koch, 1844 Acrocephalus palustris*, A. scirpaceus*, Erithacus rubecula#, 
Falco tinnunculus#, Ficedula hypoleuca#, Gallinago gallinago#, 
Phoenicurus phoenicurus#, Sylvia communis*, Upupa epops#
Table1: Ticks (Acarina: Ixodidae) found on birds in Slovenia (Source: # Tovornik 1990, • Tovornik 1991, * PmSL ixodidae 2004)
Tabela 1: Klopi (Acarina: Ixodidae), najdeni na pticah v Sloveniji (Vir: # Tovornik 1990, • Tovornik 1991, * PmSL ixodidae 2004)
215
Dovi~, Dare Fekonja, Jo`e Gra~ner, Vesna Grobelnik, 
Peter Gro{elj, Franc Jan`ekovi~, Leon Kebe, Rajko 
Kora`ija, Brane Koren, Ivan Kos, Boris Kozinc, Brane 
Lapanja, Helena Lesar, Slavko Polak, Katarina Prosenc 
Trilar, Jasna [en, Dare [ere, Rudi Tekav~i~, Bogdan 
Vidic and Vili @gavec for the collected material and 
to the Centre for Cartography of Fauna and Flora for 
geocoding localities and production of distributional 
maps. Special thanks goes to Petra Pavlov~i~ for 
English improvements.
Povzetek
V Sloveniji je raz{irjenih 16 vrst klopov (Acarina: 
Ixodidae); devet smo jih na{li tudi na pticah. 
Najpogostej{a in splo{no raz{irjena vrsta je gozdni 
klop Ixodes ricinus, ki je bil doslej najden na 69 vrstah 
ptic in je najpogostej{a vrsta klopa, ki se pojavlja 
na pticah. Ptice so glavni gostitelji za breguljkinega 
Ixodes lividus, pti~jega Ixodes frontalis, duplarskega 
Ixodes arboricola in dvogostiteljskega klopa Hyalomma 
marginatum. Za je`evega Ixodes hexagonus, rde~ega 
ov~jega Haemaphysalis punctata, lisi~jega Ixodes 
canisuga in glodal~jega klopa Ixodes acuminatus pa so 
ptice zgolj naklju~ni gostitelji. Breguljkin klop je prvi~ 
omenjen za Slovenijo.
Summary
There are 16 tick species distributed across Slovenia. 
Nine of these were found on birds. The most 
Acrocephalus 25 (123): 213 – 216, 2004
abundant and widespread is Ixodes ricinus, which was 
found on 69 bird species and is the most common 
tick species parasitising birds. Birds are major hosts 
of Ixodes lividus, Ixodes frontalis, Ixodes arboricola and 
Hyalomma marginatum, and occasional hosts of Ixodes 
hexagonus, Haemaphysalis punctata, Ixodes canisuga 
and Ixodes acuminatus. Ixodes lividus is a new species 
recorded for Slovenia.
References
Hillyard, P.D. (1996): Ticks of North-West Europe. – 
Synopses of the British Fauna (New series), Shrewsbury, 
Field Studies Council.
PMSL-Ixodidae (2004): Data from Tick Study Collection 
(coll. T. Trilar). – Slovenian Museum of Natural History, 
Ljubljana. (unpublished)
Rosický, B., Tovornik, D., Brelih, S., Daniel, M., Nosek, 
J. & Ma~i~ka, O. (1961): Zur Bionomie der Zecken 
Ixodes ricinus L. im Naturherd der Zeckenencephalitis 
in der Steiner Alpen (Kamni{ke Alpe – Slovenija). – 
^e{koslovenska Parasitologie 8: 305–323.
Southwood, T.R.E. (1978): Ecological methods with 
particular references to the study of insect population. 
– Chapman and Hall, London and New York.
Tovornik, D. (1961): Prispevek k poznavanju klopov (Acarina, 
Ixodidae) v endemskih podro~jih meningoencefalitisa v 
Sloveniji. – Biolo{ki vestnik VIII: 57–71.
Tovornik, D. (1987a): On the Bionomics of the Ixodes 
(Pholeoixodes) hexagonus Leach, 1815 in Slovenia 
(Yugoslavia). – Biolo{ki vestnik 35 (1): 101–120.
Tovornik, D. (1987b): Bio-ekolo{ki vidiki razporeditve 
naravnih `ari{~ klopnega meningoencefalitisa v Sloveniji 
glede na dejavnik nadmorske vi{ine. – Zdravstveno 
Varstvo 26: 119–125.
Tovornik, D. (1987c): Morfolo{ke zna~ilnosti dveh 
pripadnikov podrodu Pholeoixodes Schulze, 1942: Ixodes 
hexagonus Leach in Ixodes canisuga Johnston. – Biolo{ki 
vestnik 35 (2): 125–134.
Tovornik, D. (1988a): Geographic Distribution and other 
Population Parameters of Ixodes (Exopalpiger) trianguliceps 
(Birula, 1895) in Yugoslavia. – Biolo{ki vestnik 36 (1): 
33–54.
Tovornik, D. (1988b): A revision of ticks belonging to the 
Rhipicephalus sanguineus complex (Latreille), collected 
in Yugoslav coastal Region. – Biolo{ki vestnik 36 (4): 
77–84.
Tovornik, D. (1988c): The significance of the Roe-Deer 
(Capreolus capreolus Linné, 1758) as the host and 
disseminators of ixodid ticks in SR Slovenia (Yugoslavia). 
– Biolo{ki vestnik 36 (4): 85–94.
Tovornik, D. (1989): Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris Linné, 
1758) and Fat Dormouse (Glis glis Linné, 1766) as host 
of ixodid ticks in Slovenia (Yugoslavia). – Biolo{ki vestnik 
37 (2): 83–96.
Tovornik, D. (1990a): The significance of the birds (Aves) 
as the host and disseminators of ixodid ticks (Yugoslavia). 
– Biolo{ki vestnik 38 (2): 77–108.
Figure 2: Distribution of Hyalomma marginatum in Slovenia. 
Dots – natural distribution area (according to Tovornik 
1990a), squares – introduced to the territory of central 
Slovenia by spring migrating birds.
Slika 2: Razi{irjenost dvogostiteljskega klopa Hyalomma 
marginatum v Sloveniji. Pike – naravni areal raz{irjenosti (po 
Tovornik 1990a), kvadrati – vnosi v osrednjo Slovenijo prek 
sele~ih se ptic.
216
Tovornik, D. (1990b): Ixodes (Eschatocephalus) vespertilionis 
Koch, 1844 (Arachn., Ixodidae) regarding its specific 
hosts and natural habitats (Slovenia, Yugoslavia). – Acta 
entomologica Jugoslavica 23: 1–2.
Tovornik, D. (1991): Data on Ticks Ixodes frontalis (Panzer, 
1798) and Ixodes arboricola Schulze et Schlottke, 1929, 
found on Birds in Yugoslavia. – Biolo{ki vestnik 39 (1/2): 
157–164.
Tovornik, D. (1991): Podatki o klopih Ixodes frontalis 
(Panzer, 1798) in Ixodes arboricola Schulze et Schlottke, 
1929, najdenih na pti~ih v Jugoslaviji [Data on ticks 
Ixodes frontalis (Panzer, 1798) and Ixodes arboricola 
Schulze et Schlottke, 1929, found on birds in Yugoslavia�. 
– Biolo{ki vestnik 39 (1/2): 157–164.
Tovornik, D. & Brelih, S. (1980): Iksodidni klopi, paraziti 
ku{~aric (Lacertidae) v kra{kih in drugih predelih 
Jugoslavije. – Scopolia 3: 1–121.
Tovornik, D. & Vesenjak-Hirjan, J. (1988): A Revision of 
Ticks belonging to the Rhipicephalus sanguineus complex 
(Latreille), collected in the Yugoslav Coastal Region. 
– Biolo{ki vestnik 36 (4): 77–84.
Arrived / Prispelo: 23.12.2004
Accepted / Sprejeto: 9.5.2005
T. Trilar: Ticks (Acarina: Ixodidae) on birds in Slovenia