How many species of ticks exist worldwide? - briefly
Approximately 900 tick species have been described worldwide, distributed among the families Ixodidae, Argasidae, and Nuttalliellidae. Most of these species belong to the hard tick family Ixodidae.
How many species of ticks exist worldwide? - in detail
The worldwide inventory of ticks includes roughly 900 formally described species. These taxa are grouped into three families:
- Ixodidae (hard ticks) – about 720 species, characterized by a scutum and long mouthparts.
- Argasidae (soft ticks) – approximately 200 species, lacking a scutum and possessing shorter mouthparts.
- Nuttalliellidae – a single species, Nuttalliella namaqua, representing a distinct lineage.
All continents host tick fauna except Antarctica. Species richness peaks in temperate and tropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere, where habitat diversity and host abundance support the highest counts.
Molecular analyses conducted over the past decade have revealed numerous cryptic lineages, suggesting that the current figure underestimates true diversity. Conservative projections add 100–200 undescribed species, raising the potential total to around 1,000.
Taxonomic revisions continue to refine the count, with new species regularly described from under‑explored habitats such as high‑altitude grasslands and remote forest ecosystems. Consequently, the accepted estimate remains near nine hundred, while ongoing research may push the number toward the thousand‑species threshold.