# First Record of Ixodes ariadnae (Acari: Ixodidae) in Slovakia

## TL;DR

Scientists found a tick species, Ixodes ariadnae, for the first time in Slovakia, attached to a bat, expanding its known geographic range.

## Contribution

This is the first confirmed record of Ixodes ariadnae in Slovakia, supported by both morphological and molecular evidence.

## Key findings

- Ixodes ariadnae was identified from a greater mouse-eared bat in Slovakia using morphological and genetic analysis.
- The tick's genetic sequences matched those from other European countries with over 99–100% similarity.
- The discovery suggests bat migration between Slovakia and Hungary may have facilitated the tick's spread.

## Abstract

The detection of Ixodes ariadnae in Slovakia expands the known distribution of this bat-associated tick species, which has been confirmed in Europe (Hungary, Germany, Belgium, and Turkey) and Asia (Turkey and Japan). To date, 25 hard ticks, including I. ariadnae, have been recorded in Slovakia. This paper includes morphological and molecular evidence of one engorged female I. ariadnae collected from a greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis) in Slovakia. The bat was found exhausted during the spring migration period. As Slovak and Hungarian populations of M. myotis move between roosts in both countries, we assumed that the bat was returning from Hungarian wintering grounds where I. ariadnae is present.

Herein we report the first occurrence of Ixodes ariadnae in Slovakia. One engorged female was collected from a greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis) in the spring of 2025. Identification of the collected I. ariadnae specimen was based on morphological characters and confirmed by sequencing COI genes and mitochondrial 16S rDNA. Sequences showed > 99–100% similarity to specimens collected in other European countries. This expands the known range of I. ariadnae and calls for the further investigation into its host associations, prevalence, and potential role in tick-borne pathogen transmission among European bats.