Marsh tick	Status LU: established. 1st record: 2015.
	Suppenzeck	Status Eur.: expanding from SE-Europe.
	n/a	RA: ISEIA: n/a. Harmonia+: n/a.
	Auwaldzecke	Wikipedia: | Wikispecies:
	n/a	Back to the list of invertebrates

Brief description

Dermacentor reticulatus Fabricius, 1794 is a species of tick within the Ixodidae family. It is the type species for the genus Dermacentor. D. reticulatus is an ornate tick. The female varies in size from 3.8–4.2 mm (unfed) to 10 mm when engorged after feeding. The unfed male is 4.2–4.8 mm long. D. reticulatus is found in Europe and Western Asia, generally in wooded areas. D. reticulatus is a vector of various disease organisms, including Babesia canis, Francisella tularensis, Coxiella burnetti, Theileria equi, and several Rickettsia species, such as Rickettsia slovaca (Wikipedia contributors, 2020).

As a habitat, the marsh tick prefers humid areas such as riparian forests and moors as well as deciduous forests. Marsh ticks require a summer temperature of 20-22 °C and rainfall of 400-1000 mm. The ticks are cold-tolerant and can survive hard winters. Originally found in Hungary, Austria and northern Italy, the distribution area of the marsh tick has expanded strongly northwards since the 1970s. In Germany, the first natural population was described in 1973 on the Upper Rhine, and it was probably introduced by dogs. There are now free-ranging populations throughout Germany. Likely causes are an increase in natural biotopes, the associated increase in intermediate hosts, and global warming (Wikipedia Bearbeiter, 2020).

Status and distribution in Luxembourg

Between 2015 and 2020, six Dermacentor ticks were collected in the south of Luxembourg. Previously, these individuals had been identified as Dermacentor marginatus Leach, 1815. However, morphological re-investigation as well as DNA barcoding identified the specimens as Dermacentor reticulatus Fabricius, 1794. Thus only D. reticulatus is known from Luxembourg (Weigand et al. 2020).

52 observations have been reported in the Recorder-Lux database so far (MNHNL, iNaturalist & GBIF 2022).

The public debate on ticks in Luxembourg

Ticks are a topic of discussion in Luxembourg, both by the authorities (e.g. Direction de la Santé 2016) and by the press (e.g. Weisbrodt 2021). Ticks are regularly the subject of parliamentary questions, e.g. the question on the tick Dermacentor reticulatus submitted by member of parliament Cécile Hemmen in April 2021.

Risk assessment

No risk assessments have been done to date.

Worldwide distribution

GBIF 2020: https://www.gbif.org/species/2183432

Bibliography

• Direction de la Santé, 2016. Attention aux tiques! Comment se protéger? Dépliant. Luxembourg. URL: https://sante.public.lu/fr/prevention/tiques/
• GBIF, 2020. Dermacentor reticulatus in GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://www.gbif.org/species/2183432 [accessed 2020-11-02]
• Hemmen, C., 2021. Question parlementaire n°4143 de Madame Cécile Hemmen du 22 avril 2021 concernant la tique Dermacentor reticulatus au Luxembourg. [chd.lu]
• MNHNL, iNaturalist & GBIF, 2022. Dermacentor reticulatus in MNHNL-mdata, online portal combining species observation from Recorder-Lux, iNaturalist and GBIF. National Museum of Natural History, Luxembourg. URL: https://mdata.mnhn.lu [Accessed 2022-04-27]
• Weigand, A., J. Teixeira & S. Christian, 2020. First record of Hyalomma marginatum sensu stricto C.L. Koch, 1844 and distribution of Dermacentor reticulatus (Fabricius, 1794) (Acari, Ixodidae) in Luxembourg. Bull. Soc. nat. luxemb. 122 : 253-263. [PDF 1.79 MB]
• Weisbrodt, S., 2021. Une nouvelle espèce de tique menace les chiens / Insectes parasites [Dermacentor reticulatus]. L’essentiel du jeudi 2021-04-15: 6. URL: http://www.lessentiel.lu/fr/luxembourg/story/une-nouvelle-espece-de-tique-menace-les-chiens-13030864
• Wikipedia Bearbeiter, 2020. Auwaldzecke. In Wikipedia, Die freie Enzyklopädie. Bearbeitungsstand: 28. Oktober 2020, 06:23 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Auwaldzecke [accessed 2020-11-02]
• Wikipedia contributors, 2020. Dermacentor reticulatus. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dermacentor_reticulatus [accessed 2020-11-02]

 Page content last updated on 2022-04-28. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2020-11-13.

	Pond slider	Status LU: established. 1st record: ?
	Nordamerikanesch Buschtaf-Schmockschillkröt, -deckelsmouk	Status Eur.: established. IAS of EU concern (2016).
	n/a	RA: see subspecies elegans & scripta
	Nordamerikanische Buchstaben-Schmuckschildkröte	Wikipedia:   | Wikispecies:
	n/a	Back to the list of vertebrates

Brief description

Trachemys scripta (Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792) is a species of common, medium-sized, semi-aquatic turtle. It has been listed as one of the “Top 100” World’s Worst Invaders. These turtles often fight with native species for food, habitat, and other resources. Eventually they bully many native species out of basking sites – areas where there is sunlight and warmth for the species. When basking it is common that pond sliders will do so on birds’ nests, thereby killing the eggs. They also prey on young birds. Turtles that were raised in captivity can develop diseases that are unfamiliar to native species, which can be harmful. Turtles raised in captivity are often released because they become too much to handle or grow bigger than expected. It’s not uncommon that pond sliders will also run away (Wikipedia contributors 2020).

IAS of Union concern

In 2016, Trachemys scripta (Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792) was added to the list of invasive alien species of Union concern (Anonymous 2016) which implies that member states shall take all necessary steps to prevent its unintentional introduction or spread.

Status and distribution in Luxembourg

Currently, 173 records in Luxembourg are accessible through the MNHNL-mdata portal, when combining the species (145) with its two subspecies, T. scripta scripta (11) and T. scripta elegans (17) present in Luxembourg (MNHNL, iNaturalist & GBIF 2020).

Invasive pond sliders have been observed climbing the platforms of waterbirds, especially great crested grebes (Podiceps cristatus), to sunbathe, thus preventing successful breeding (Konter 2020: 81).

More details are available on the pages dedicated to both subspecies (see their distribution maps below).

Management

Action plan

→ Finalised Action Plan for Trachemys scripta (De Sousa 2020)

Risk assessment

See the subspecies pages for further details.

Worldwide distribution

GBIF 2019: https://www.gbif.org/species/2443002

Other Trachemys taxa

The pond slider Trachemys scripta (Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792) has three subspecies (Wikipedia contributors 2020b), of which the first two occur in Luxembourg:

• Trachemys scripta scripta (Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792), the yellow-bellied slider;
• Trachemys scripta elegans (Wied-Neuwied, 1839), the red-eared slider;
• Trachemys scripta troostii (Holbrook, 1836), the Cumberland slider. According to GBIF (2019b) this subspecies is already present in Europe (Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Spain).

Bibliography

• Anonymous, 2016. Commission implementing regulation (EU) 2016/1141 of 13 July 2016 adopting a list of invasive alien species of Union concern pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council. Official Journal of the European Union L 189: 4-5.
• De Sousa, Tiago, 2020. Plan d’action pour espèces exotiques envahissantes au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg: la Tortue de Floride, Trachemys scripta spp. (Schoepff, 1792). Version 2020-09-04. Administration de la nature et des forêts, Luxembourg. 24 pp.
• GBIF, 2019. Trachemys scripta (Thunberg In Schoepff, 1792) in GBIF Secretariat (2019). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei [accessed 2020-04-27]
• Konter, A., 2020. Schmuckschildkröten Trachemys scripla verhindern mehrere Haubentaucherbruten Podiceps cristalus auf dem Echternacher See. Regulus Wissenschaftliche Berichte 35: 81-86.
• MNHNL, 2000-. Trachemys scripta scripta (Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792) in Recorder-Lux, database on the natural heritage of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Musée national d’histoire naturelle, Luxembourg. URL: https://mdata.mnhn.lu [Accessed 2020-02-04]
• MNHNL, iNaturalist & GBIF, 2019. Trachemys scripta scripta (Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792) in MNHNL-mdata, online portal combining species observation from Recorder-Lux, iNaturalist and GBIF. National Museum of Natural History, Luxembourg. URL: https://mdata.mnhn.lu [Accessed 2020-02-04]
• Wikipedia contributors, 2020. ‘Pond slider’, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 8 January 2020, 04:07 UTC, <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pond_slider&oldid=934733603> [accessed 2020-04-27]

 Page content last updated on 2021-06-15. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2020-04-30.