Ixodidae is a family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 of tick

Tick

Ticks are small arachnids in the order Ixodida, along with mites, constitute the subclass Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites , living by hematophagy on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians...

s containing the hard ticks.

Description

They are distinguished from the other main family of ticks, the soft ticks (Argasidae

Argasidae

Argasidae is a family of ticks containing the soft ticks. They lack the hard scutum that is present in the hard ticks . The capitulum is located on the underside of the animal's body and is not readily visible...

) by the presence of a scutum or hard shield. Both nymphs and adults have a prominent capitulum (head) which projects forwards from the animal's body; in the Argasidae, conversely, the capitulum is concealed beneath the body.

Classification

There are 702 species in 14 genera, some of which are of considerable economic importance as vectors of diseases such as Rickettsia

Rickettsia

Rickettsia is a genus of non-motile, Gram-negative, non-sporeforming, highly pleomorphic bacteria that can present as cocci , rods or thread-like . Being obligate intracellular parasites, the Rickettsia survival depends on entry, growth, and replication within the cytoplasm of eukaryotic host cells...

and Borrelia

Borrelia

Borrelia is a genus of bacteria of the spirochete phylum. It causes borreliosis, a zoonotic, vector-borne disease transmitted primarily by ticks and some by lice, depending on the species...

.

The family contains the following genera:

• Amblyomma
  Amblyomma
  Amblyomma is a genus of hard ticks. Some are disease vectors, for example for Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Brazil or ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis in the USA....
  
  – 130 species (includes some of Aponomma)
• Anomalohimalaya – 3 species
• Bothriocroton – 7 species
• Cosmiomma – 1 species
• Cornupalpatum – 1 species
• Compluriscutula – 1 species
• Dermacentor
  Dermacentor
  Dermacentor is a genus of hard-bodied ticks.-Species:* Dermacentor abaensis Teng, 1963* Dermacentor albipictus Packard, 1869* Dermacentor andersoni Stiles 1908* Dermacentor asper Arthur, 1960...
  
  – 34 species (includes Anocentor)
• Haemaphysalis
  Haemaphysalis
  Haemaphysalis is a genus of tick.-Species:* Haemaphysalis aborensis Warburton, 1913* Haemaphysalis aciculifer Warburton 1913* Haemaphysalis aculeata Lavarra, 1904* Haemaphysalis adleri Feldman-Muhsam, 1951...
  
  – 166 species
• Hyalomma
  Hyalomma
  Hyalomma is a genus of hard-bodied ticks, common in Asia, Europe, and Hyalomma is a genus of hard-bodied [[tick]]s, common in [[Asia]], [[Europe]], and...
  
  – 27 species
• Ixodes
  Ixodes
  Ixodes is a genus of hard-bodied ticks . It includes important disease vectors of animals and humans . Some ticks in this genus may transmit the pathogenic bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi responsible for causing Lyme disease...
  
  – 243 species
• Margaropus – 3 species
• Nosomma – 2 species
• Rhipicentor – 2 species
• Rhipicephalus
  Rhipicephalus
  Rhipicephalus is a genus of tick.-Species:* Rhipicephalus annulatus Say, 1821* Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Neumann 1901* Rhipicephalus aquatilis Walker, Keirans & Pegram, 1993* Rhipicephalus armatus Pocock, 1900...
  
  – 82 species (includes Boophilus)