Dermacentor reticulatus (meadow tick; ornate dog tick)

The three-host tick Dermacentor reticulatus occurs in Europe and Asia, predominantly in open habitats, such as meadows and ecotones between forests and fields. Larvae and nymphs are endophilic parasites of small mammals, while the exophilic adults parasitize a range of mammals, including humans. Among domestic animals, they show a preference for dogs, equids, and cows. In recent years, this tick species has undergone a marked range expansion in several European countries, including Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic, where it is now the second most common tick species parasitizing dogs besides Ixodes ricinus.