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Ticks are potential vectors of many human diseases in temperate zones. Wildlife often acts as a reservoir for the pathogens that cause these diseases. For example, 41% of Lyme disease in Europe is caused by Borrelia garinii, whose main reservoirs are birds. This bacterium is transmitted to humans by the tick Ixodes ricinus, which occasionally feeds on birds. Other tick species are more specifically associated with birds, such as Ixodes frontalis. As they therefore sometimes share the same vertebrate hosts as I. ricinus, these species may also play a role in the eco-epidemiology of tick-borne diseases. While the ecology of I. frontalis was very poorly known until now, we were able to determine precisely its population dynamics, which show a peak of larval abundance in winter, a unique case among European ticks. Furthermore, we identified a privileged biotope, bamboo groves, where this species was found to be almost systematically present.

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Female gorged of Ixodes frontalis tick (ventral side) collected from collared dove (26/09/2018).