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Ixodiphagus  endoparasitoid wasps are natural tick enemies that can reduce their abundance. In this study, we investigated the presence of  Ixodiphagus hookeri  in  Haemaphysalis concinna  and  Ixodes ricinus  ticks in the Slovak Karst (southern Slovakia) and analysed the ecological and physiological relationships in the parasitoid-host system. Unfed  H. concinna  and  I. ricinus  nymphs harvested from vegetation were fed on rabbits. The engorged specimens were kept at 25 °C and 75% RH until the emergence of the adult wasps. For the first time in Europe, we found the presence of  I. hookeri  in two species of ticks collected in the same locality and compared their development in these tick species. The prevalence of wasps in  H. concinna  and  I. ricinus  during their spring activity was estimated at 10.64% and 27.78%, respectively. The presence of the wasps did not affect the duration of nymph feeding. Engorged wasp-infected ticks achieved higher body mass than non-infected specimens. In both tick species, there were no differences in the length of the development period and the number and sex ratio of adult  I. hookeri . The analysed indicators and characteristics of the  I. hookeri  wasp-tick system can be used in research on tick control.

scientific reports

Ixodiphagus hookeri wasps (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) in two sympatric tick species Ixodes ricinus and Haemaphysalis concinna (Ixodida: Ixodidae) in the Slovak Karst (Slovakia): ecological and biological considerations