Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) parasitizing bats in Serbia (original) (raw)

Ticks are known vectors of various pathogens and have been reported to parasitize numerous host species. This research documents the distribution and host associations of tick species found on bats in Serbia, which has been underexplored in this context. Sampling involved 11 bat species across 7 locations. Morphological and molecular methods were employed to identify tick species, with a total of 160 ticks belonging to two species (Ixodes vespertilionis and Ixodes simplex) identified from four bat species, including new occurrences of both tick species in the region.