Picture credit (public domain): Scott Bauer (USDA) 1998

About Ixodes scapularis

Ixodes scapularis, the black-legged tick, is a hard-bodied tick from the Ixodidae family. I. scapularis is the primary vector for Lyme disease, transmitting the pathogenic bacterium Borrelia burgdorfei.

Wikkel strain

The Ixodes scapularis Wikel colony was established by Dr. S. Wikel (University of Connecticut Health Center) in 1996 using approximately 30 pairs of field collected adult male and female ticks from New York, Oklahoma and a Lyme disease endemic area of Connecticut. The colony has been continuously in-bred for approximatley twelve generations since establishment and has not been supplemented with field collected material. The colony is known to be a competent vector of various Borrelia burgdorferi (strains B31 and 297) and Babesia microti isolates. Dr. D. Sonenshine at Old Dominion University also maintains a satellite colony of the Wikel strain.

Source: VectorBase

Picture credit (public domain): Scott Bauer (USDA) 1998

Taxonomy ID 6945

Data source VectorBase

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