Ticks (Ixodidea) distribution for the British Isles

Biological Records Centre

Description

This dataset includes data from the 'Provisional Atlas of the ticks (<i>Ixodidea</i>) of the British Isles' by K.P. Martyn, published in 1988 by the Biological Records Centre, Huntingdon, additional records submitted to the BRC and data collated through the Tick Recording Scheme. Twenty three species of ticks (<i>Ixodidea</i>, families <i>Ixodidae</i> and <i>Argasidae</i>) are mapped and the atlas also gives all host records. A fuller description of the dataset can be found in that publication. Regular updates have been made to the dataset to include new data from 1998-2007.

Geographic Description

The survey covers Great Britain (including the Channel Islands) and Ireland.

Purpose

The original survey of tick distribution and hosts was undertaken for a distribution atlas of ticks. The emphasis of the current survey, and the impetus to make it available on the Gateway, is very much on public health and the need for reliable distribution data for epidemiological purposes.

Data quality

Data should be reliable as material was identified by experienced taxonomists. Where taxonomic difficulties were expected (e.g. <i>Ixodes dorriensmithi, I. guernseyensis and I. arvicolae</i>), Kieran Martyn re-identified specimens.

Methods

Most data were extracted by Kieran Martyn from the collections of the Natural History Museum, London. Other museums were also sources of data.

This dataset has been augmented by records of ticks submitted via the Tick Recording Scheme, coordinated by the Public Health England.

Citation

Biological Records Centre ([Insert download year]). Ticks (Ixodidea) distribution for the British Isles. Occurrence dataset on the NBN Atlas

Rights

CC-BY

Digitised records