Ixodidae is the family of hard ticks or scale ticks, one of the three families of ticks, consisting of 750 species as of 2025. They are known as hard ticks because they have a scutum, a hard shield, which the other major family of ticks, the soft ticks of the family Argasidae, lack. Ixodids are ectoparasites of a wide range of host species, and some are vectors of pathogens that can cause human disease. The atlas places the blacklegged tick, the Gulf Coast tick and the southern cattle tick in this family.
Facts
Taxonomic Rank Scientific Name Classification
Living or Extinct Connections
Child Taxon Of
Source GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Ixodidae
Parent Taxon Of
Source GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Ixodes scapularis
Source GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Amblyomma maculatum
Source GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Rhipicephalus microplus
Sources
1. Ixodidae - Wikipedia
Lead, living speciesQuote, Lead, living species
They are ectoparasites of a wide range of host species, and some are vectors of pathogens that can cause human disease.
2. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Ixodidae
GBIF Backbone TaxonomyTaxon recordQuote, Taxon record
"rank": "FAMILY"
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Ixodes scapularis
GBIF Backbone TaxonomyParent Taxon Of: Blacklegged Tick, Taxon recordQuote, Parent Taxon Of: Blacklegged Tick, Taxon record
"family": "Ixodidae"
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Rhipicephalus microplus
GBIF Backbone TaxonomyParent Taxon Of: Southern Cattle Tick, Taxon recordQuote, Parent Taxon Of: Southern Cattle Tick, Taxon record
"family": "Ixodidae"
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Amblyomma maculatum
GBIF Backbone TaxonomyParent Taxon Of: Gulf Coast Tick, Taxon recordQuote, Parent Taxon Of: Gulf Coast Tick, Taxon record
"family": "Ixodidae"
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