Genus DERMACENTOR Koch, 1844

 Ticks of this genus are distributed in North and Central America, Africa, Eurasia, and New Guinea, where they mainly inhabit open landscapes: steppes, forest-steppes, savannas, and sparsely forested areas. If ticks dwell in forest landscapes, they inhabit light biotopes: clearings, forest edges, etc. The genus has no distinct centre of species diversity, most species have allopatric and parapatric ranges. Almost all species have a three-host life cycle (D. albipictus, D. nitens, and possibly D. dissimilis have a one-host life cycle) and are characterized by the pasture type of parasitism. Trophically, the genus is closely related to mammals. Even immature ticks do not feed on birds or reptiles. Almost all species at the adult stage feed on large mammals, including livestock, whereas immature ticks parasitize small mammals, but not birds. Mass and prevalent species are vectors of various diseases to humans and animals.

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 China (Sichuan and Qinghai).

 Adults were collected from cattle, sheep, musk deer Moschus berezovskii, and bear Selenarctos thibetanus. Immature ticks feed on small mammals.

 Remark: This species is closely related to D. birulai, and is possibly its synonym.

 Literature: Teng and Jiang (1991).

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 Canada, USA, and Mexico.

 It is a one-host species. Ticks parasitize both wild and domestic large ungulates. Among wild ungulates, ticks are most often found on moose and deer. Among domestic ungulates, ticks are most often found on horses. It is extremely rare for ticks to attach to humans.

 Life cycle takes one year. Larvae appear on vegetation in autumn, and then attack hosts, upon which all stages feed and molt during winter. Engorged females drop from hosts in spring. In northern parts of the range, ticks almost never occur on hosts in summer. In Canada and northern USA, the winter infestation rates of moose amounts to 100%. In southern parts of their range, ticks occur sporadically and infestation rate of animals is not high. Mass infestation of animals in winter, in combination with lack of food, often results in emaciated animals and even death.

 Species are divided into two morphological forms: D. albipictus albipictus (Packard, 1869) occurs mainly in northern parts of the range, and D. albipictus nigrolineatus (Packard, 1869) occurs mainly in the southern parts. They display no differences in ecology, and can easily interbreed and produce healthy offspring.

 Literature: Yunker et al. (1986), Guglielmone et al. (2003a).

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 Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan), USA (Washington, Oregon, north-eastern California, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, extreme western North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska, and northern New Mexico).

 It inhabits scrub in mountains and on plains, but it is absent on Pacific coasts. It is common, and in some regions of Canada it is abundant.

 Principal hosts of adults are deer and livestock. Ticks are found on carnivores less often, but often infest porcupines and rabbits. Ticks will attach to humans. Immature ticks mainly feed on rodents and rabbits. Life cycle is 2 to 3 years. Adults are active from spring to autumn with maximum activity during March to April. Larvae are active from March to autumn with maximum activity during June to July. Nymphs are active during the whole warm period with maximum activity from May to June.

 Tick bites often cause paralysis in humans and other animals, which is often fatal to animals. It is a vector of many diseases, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick-borne fever, Powassan virus, Lyme disease, tularemia, anaplasmosis, and others.

 Literature: Yunker et al. (1986), James et al. (2006).

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 Malaysia, Indonesia (Java, Sumatra, and Kalimantan), and Philippines (Palawan and Busuanga).

 Principal hosts of adults are wild pigs. Immature ticks have not been described.

 Literature: Wassef and Hoogstraal (1984a), Hoogstraal and Wassef (1985b).

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 India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia (Malacca Peninsula), China (Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and Yunnan), and Indonesia (Sumatra).

 Species occur in closed virgin and secondary forests where it prefers dry localities and avoids both damp habitats and clearings. This is similar behavior to other species of the subgenus Indocentor. Ticks very rarely occur in anthropogenic biotopes. It is a common, but not an abundant species.

 Principal hosts of imago are wild pigs. Immature ticks feed on small and middle-sized mammals. Nymphs and larvae often attach to humans. It is a vector of Kyasanur forest disease.

 Literature: Wassef and Hoogstraal (1984b), Hoogstraal and Wassef (1985a), Kolonin (1995b), Teng and Jiang (1991), Petney and Keirans (1996).

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 China (Sichuan and Tibet).

 Species was described from some males and females collected on eastern parts of the Tibetan Plateau (altitude 3800 to 4300 m). Host is unknown.

 Literature: Olenev (1927).

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 Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d’Ivore, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Sudan (southern), Congo, Zaire, Uganda, Tanzania (extreme north-western), and Mozambique.