Bull 955 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. (2025) 18 (4): 955-970. https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2025.18.4.0955 ORIGINAL ARTICLE DISPERSAL OF HARD TICKS (ACARI, IXODIDAE) ON SHEEP OVIS ARIES LINNAEUS, 1758 IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF IRAQ Zainab A. Makawi Iraq Natural History Research Center and Museum, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq E-mail: zainab@nhm.uobaghdad.edu.iq Received: 20 May 2025, Revised: 5 Dec. 2025, Accepted: 7 Dec. 2025, Published: 20 December 2025 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ABSTRACT A total of 400 hard tick specimens (250 ♂♂, 150 ♀♀) were collected from 160 sheep Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758 out of 200 samples examined in the different localities of Iraq, representing an infestation rate of 80% of the sheep. The results of the current research identified eight species of hard ticks belonging to two genera, Hyalomma C. L. Koch, 1844 and Rhipicephalus Koch,1844 and belonging to the Ixodidae family, as follows: Hyalomma anatolicum Koch, 1844, H. excavatum Koch, 1844, H. impeltatum Schulze & Schlottke, 1930, H. scupense Schulze, 1919, Rhipicephalus bursa Canastrini & Fanzago, 1878, R. camicasi Morel, Mouchet & Rodhain, 1976, R. sanguineus Latreille, 1806, and R. turanicus Pomerantsev, 1936. Molecular analysis and gene sequencing were conducted to confirm the species Rhipicephalus camicasi, using two genes, 12S ribosomal RNAs (PV155242.1, PV155243.1) and cox1 (PV139200.1, PV139201.1). The current study concluded that sheep are a new host for R. camicasi in Iraq. Keywords: Cox1 gene, Hard ticks, Hyalomma, Rhipicephalus,12S gene. INTRODUCTION Ticks are ectoparasites that feed on human and animal blood, endangering both human health and the environment (Amills et al., 2017; Aldidge et al., 2019). Many different kinds of animals, including birds, reptiles, and mammals, were infested by them (Jongejan, 2004). As stated by Dabaja et al. (2017), ticks are significant vectors that may spread several dangerous diseases to both people and animals. The two well-known families Ixodidae and Argasidae comprise the bulk of the 877-878 different species of ticks that now exist (Hamid and Al-Obaidi, 2023). However, hard ticks carry a number of infected diseases that can afflict both humans and animals (Brites-Neto et al., 2015). Additionally, ticks have a high degree of environmental and host adaptation (Abdigoudarzi et al., 2009). Attempts at vaccination have been made; one such attempt used the salivary gland of Hyalomma Koch, 1844 to immunize sheep (Robson and Robb, 1967). Numerous investigations have been carried out on an array of subjects, including host inclination, infectivity, geographical dispersion, resistance to BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Iraq Natural History Research Center & Museum, University of Baghdad https://jnhm.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/BINHM/Home Copyright © Bulletin of the Iraq Natural History Museum Online ISSN: 2311-9799, Print ISSN: 1017-8678 https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2025.18.4.0955 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1136-9121 mailto:zainab@nhm.uobaghdad.edu.iq https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ https://jnhm.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/BINHM/Home 956 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (4): 955-970. Dispersal of hard ticks pesticides, molecular identification of diverse species, biodiversity, seasonal fluctuations, categorization, fauna, and biology of hard and soft ticks in the country (Aghighi et al., 2007). This study aimed to identify the hard ticks that infested sheep in Iraq. Additionally, the potential to add new information about tick hosts. MATERIAL AND METHODS Study areas: Tick specimens collected from sheep different area include the provinces and districts: Baghdad (Al- Yusufiyah), Al-Anbar (Fallujah, Al-Saqlawiya), Karbala (Ain al- Tamur), Wasit (Al Muwaffaqiyah, Badra, Shaihemiyh), Maysan (Qalaat Salih), Diyala (Baquba, Muqdadiya, Khanaqin), Salahaddin (Al-Dujail, Samarra, Tuz Khurmatu), Babil (Musayyib, Jiblah); Al- Diwaniyah (Al-Daghara, Afaq, Al-Sunniya) and Dhi Qar (Al-Rifai) (Map 1). Hard ticks were gathered and preserved in 70% ethanol; sheep were treated humanely. Map (1): Dispersal of hard ticks in different regions of Iraq. Designed according to the program )Arc GIS On Iine, https://www.arcgis.com/index.html). https://www.arcgis.com/index.html 957 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Makawi, Z. A. Microscopic examination and identification: Ticks were removed from the animal's head, thigh, ear, udder, and tail using tweezers and cotton soaked in ethyl alcohol. All of the specimens were brought to the lab at the Iraq Natural History Research Center and Museum- University of Baghdad, where they were examined under a dissecting microscope to determine the species of ticks after being cleaned of impurities using the guide to identification of species prepared by Walker et al. (2014).The specimens were identified using a dissecting microscope type ROMA and photographed using a Samsung SM-A225F Galaxy A22 mobile phone camera, while the terminal of ventral view of the Rhipicephalus camicasi was figured using the software Adobe Illustrator. Molecular examination DNA extraction: DNA was extracted from two R. camicasi specimens obtained and previously kept at -20ºC with a Korean DNA extraction kit. Primers: The PCR amplification primers were created in accordance with Beati and Keirans (2001), based on 12S rDNA (12S ribosomal DNA) with Primer sequence F (5'- AAACTAGGATTAGATACCCT- 3'), R (5'-AATGAGAGCGACGGGCGATGT - 3’) gene at 380 bp and Kushimo (2013) on the primer sequence of the cox1 gene (cytochrome oxidase subunit I) F (5' TACTCTACTAATCATAAAGACATTGG-3'), R (5' CCTCCTCCTGAAGGGTCAAAAAATGA- 3’) at 656 bp. PCR reaction preparation: The Master Mix (Promega/USA) was used to conduct the PCR reaction. The components included distill water (9µl), DNA (1.5µl), Forward primer (10 picomols/µl (1 µl)), Reverse primer (10 picomols/µl (1 µl)), and Master Mix or GoTaq® Green Master Mix (12.5µl). PCR thermocycler conditions: A standard PCR thermocycler system for 12S ribosomal DNA was used to carry out the PCR conditions, which included Extension-1 at 72 °C for 1 minute with 35 cycles, Extension-2 at 72 °C for 5 minutes with 1 cycle, Initial Denaturation at 95 °C for 5 minutes with 1 cycle, Denaturation -2 at 95 °C for 45 seconds, and Annealing at 54 °C for 45 seconds. Meanwhile, the cox1 gene was processed using the same conventional PCR thermocycler system. Initial denaturation at 95 °C for five minutes with one cycle, Denaturation-2 at 95 °C for forty-five seconds, annealing at 58 °C for forty-five seconds, Extension-1 at 72 °C for one minute with thirty-five cycles, and Extension-2 at 72 °C for five minutes with one cycle were all included in this system. Sequencing of DNA and phylogenetic tree: Two specimens were subjected to molecular identification of Rhipicephalus camicasi through genetic sequencing. The evolutionary lineage was deduced using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean, commonly referred to as UPGMA.To secure accession numbers and verify identity, the sequencing outcomes were compared to GenBank utilizing BLAST. The Korean company Macrogen sent the cox1 gene and the 12S ribosomal DNA PCR product. Following their acquisition, the Rhipicephalus camicasi sequences were submitted to NCBI-GenBank in order to obtain GenBank accession numbers. Clustal W alignment analysis and molecular 958 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (4): 955-970. Dispersal of hard ticks evolutionary genetics analysis (MEGA6), were used for multiple sequence alignment in order to carry out the DNA sequencing study, particularly the phylogenetic tree analysis. The mentioned bootstrap value is installed on the tree. Comparing NCBI-Blast known sequences with phylogenetic tree analysis; was made to know Rhipicephalus camicasi in current study. Statistical analysis: The chi-square (X2) analysis results for hard ticks were (1.812), showing that the infestation rate and gender did not significantly correlate (p=0.970). RESULTS Out of 200 samples analyzed, 160 sheep-infested samples contained 400 hard ticks (250♂♂, 150♀♀), representing an 80% infestation rate. Findings pointed to eight Hard tick species. The following two genera, Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus, the rate of infestation and gender did not significantly correlate (Pls. 1-8). Plate (1): Male of Rhipicephalus turanicus; (A) Dorsal and (B) Ventral view. [1. There is a dip in the cervical fields, 2. The rear grooves are clearly visible, 3. The narrow shape of the adanal plates, 4. The accessory anal plates are big]. 959 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Makawi, Z. A. Plate (2): Male of H. anatolicum; (A) Dorsal and (B) Ventral view. [1. There is a depression in the cervical fields, 2. Paracentral festoons separate anteriorly, 3. Adanal plates have a circular termination]. Plate (3): Male of H. excavatum; (A) Dorsal and (B) Ventral view. [1. Apparently depressed cervical fields, 2. Festoons paracentrally connected anteriorly, 3. The square-ended design of Adanal plate, 4. Distinct subanal plates]. 960 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (4): 955-970. Dispersal of hard ticks Plate (4): Male of Hyalomma scupense; (A) Dorsal and (B) Ventral view. [1. A slight yet noticeable dip in the cervical fields, 2. Long lateral grooves, 3. The ends of the adanal plates are square, 4. Subanal plates are clear]. Plate (5): Male of H. impeltatum; (A) Dorsal and (B) Ventral view. [1. The cervical fields have a depression, 2. Pale central festoon, 3. Adanal plates have square ends, 4. Subanal plates are distinct]. 961 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Makawi, Z. A. Plate (6): Male of Rhipicephalus bursa; (A) Dorsal and (B) Ventral view. [1. There is no obvious depression in the cervical fields, 2. The eyes are clearly convex (as seen for the female), 3. The adanal accessory plates are little, 4. Adanal plates have a curved, wide form, 5. In fed males, the caudal appendage lacks information]. Plate (7): Male of Rhipicephalus sanguineus; (A) Dorsal and (B) Ventral view, [1. There are noticeable deep, broad, wrinkled grooves on the back, 2. The lateral grooves have a smooth texture and a specific kind, 3. There are large adanal auxiliary plates, 4. Although the adanal plates have a thin, trapezoid shape, they may look large and curved, 5. There is no information available on fed males' caudal appendage]. 962 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (4): 955-970. Dispersal of hard ticks Plate (8): Male of Rhipicephalus camicasi; (A) Dorsal view, (B) Ventral view, (C) Terminal of ventral view. [1. Small to medium-sized interstitial punctures are seen in the distribution of interstitial punctations is sparse, 2. Adjacent adanal plates are big (but they may also be little), 3. The form of the Adanal plates is trapezoid and slender.4. In fed males, the caudal appendage is wide and protrudes as a small protrusion]. Table (1) indicated that the prevalence of male hard tick infestation is higher than that of female infestation, without a significant association between them. Identified eight Species of Hard ticks, with percentage ratios including: R. turanicus (31.75%), H. anatolicum (23.25%), H. excavatum (13.75%), H. scupense (10%), H. impeltatum (8.75%), R. bursa (6.25%), R. sanguineus (5.75%) and R. camicasi (0.5%). 963 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Makawi, Z. A. Table (1): Hard tick species and their percentage ratios were identified on the sheep in Iraq. Molecular findings derived from PCR analysis. Two hard ticks, suspected to be R. camicasi, were traditionally analyzed in the laboratory and subsequently subjected to molecular examination. The results indicated a positive identification of R. camicasi using 12Sr DNA and the cox1 gene (amplicon sizes of 380 bp and 656 bp, respectively) using the traditional PCR method (Pls. 9,10). Plate (9): The gel electrophoresis image (1% agarose) demonstrates the Rhipicephalus camicasi positive. (amplicon size H – 380 bp) by targeting 12S ribosomal RNA gene. Plate (10): The gel electrophoresis image (1% agarose) demonstrates the Rhipicephalus camicasi positive. (amplicon size H – 656 bp) by targeting the cox1 gene. No. Species No. of male No. of female Total % P-value 1 R. turanicus 80 47 127 31.75 0.970 2 H. anatolicum 58 35 93 23.25 3 H. excavatum 35 20 55 13.75 4 H. scupense 25 15 40 10 5 H. impeltatum 20 15 35 8.75 6 R. bursa 15 10 25 6.25 7 R. sanguineus 15 8 23 5.75 8 R. camicasi 2 0 2 0.5 Total 250 150 400 100 964 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (4): 955-970. Dispersal of hard ticks Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were conducted utilizing Mega X software, and multiple alignments were generated. Subsequently, these were sent to NCBI-GenBank in order to get sheep R. camicasi genetic codes, diagnosed by targeting12S rDNA with accession no (ID: PV155242.1, ID: PV155243.1), and cox1gene with accession no (ID: PV139200.1, ID: PV139201.1) respectively (Tabs. 2, 3). Table (2): The percentage of homology sequence identity (%) as determined by NCBI- BLAST between local R. camicasi isolates from sheep, which were submitted to the 12S ribosomal RNA gene bank, and the strains deposited in NCBI-BLAST. Table (3): The percentage of homology sequence identity (%) as determined by NCBI- BLAST between local R. camicasi isolates from sheep, which were submitted to the COX1 gene bank, and strains deposited in NCBI-BLAST. No. Access no. Affinity to GenBank Access no. Country Affinity % Bootstrap values 1 ID: PV139200.1 Rhipicephalus camicasi ID: OR573433.1 Kenya 99% 99.52 % 2 ID: PV139201.1 Rhipicephalus camicasi ID: OR573433.1 Kenya 99% 99.76% The Iraqi strains of R. camicasi are primarily closely related to one another, according to phylogenetic tree analysis. However, when targeting 12Sr DNA with bootstrap values (99.19%) and the cox1 with bootstrap values (99.52% and 99.76%) diagnosed R. camicasi similar to Kenya (Diags.1, 2). No. Access No. Affinity to GenBank Access No. Country Affinity % Bootstrap values 1 ID: PV155242.1 Rhipicephalus camicasi ID: OQ565142.1 Kenya 99% 99.19% 2 ID: PV155243.1 Rhipicephalus camicasi ID: OQ565142.1 Kenya 99% 99.19% https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nucleotide/OR573433.1?report=genbank&log$=nuclalign&blast_rank=1&RID=W18DM2PB013 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nucleotide/OR573433.1?report=genbank&log$=nuclalign&blast_rank=1&RID=W18DM2PB013 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nucleotide/OQ565142.1?report=genbank&log$=nuclalign&blast_rank=1&RID=W18MNJX5016 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nucleotide/OQ565142.1?report=genbank&log$=nuclalign&blast_rank=1&RID=W18MNJX5016 965 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Makawi, Z. A. Diagram (1): Phylogenetic tree analysis for Rhipicephalus camicasi by targeting 12S ribosomal RNA gene. Diagram (2): Phylogenetic tree analysis for Rhipicephalus camicasi by targeting cox1 gene. DISCUSSION The current study recorded eight species of hard ticks on the basis of morphological examination of the hard ticks collected from sheep. These species included Rhipicephlus turanicus, R. bursa, R. sanguineus, R. camicasi, Hyalomma anatolicum, H. excavatum, H. scupense and H. impeltatum. These findings are consistent with previous studies conducted by Mohammad and Jassim (2011), which identified seven species of ixodid ticks, including Hyalomma anatolicum, H. excavatum, H. detritum, Hyalomma sp., Rhipicephalus turanicus, and R. sanguineus. Furthermore, in the extreme south of Iraq, in Basra Awad and Abdul- Hussein (2006), found that the only infestation found in the sheep were R. turanicus. Tahmaz, (2021) recorded R. turanicus and R. sanguineus on sheep in some regions from Erbil Province. Also, eight species of Hyalomma have been identified as existing in Iraq, according to Al- Zubaidei et al. (2023). The study's main clinical findings were weight loss, mucous membrane 966 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (4): 955-970. Dispersal of hard ticks pallor, lymph node enlargement, and a gazing coat (Makawi and Hadi, 2023). Kadir et al. (2012), who revealed that R. turanicus was more prevalent in sheep, and these results were supported by our investigation (59.4%), According to El-seify et al. (2011), infestation rates in sheep were 18.22%, with H. dromedarii (16.67%), and Rhipicephalus spp. (45.14%). In contrast, Hasson's (2012); reported the identification of H. anatolicum which had the highest tick index (0.54 among all ticks). These variations might be the consequence of animal movement between various places, differences in the quantity of samples, or the presence of suitable climates (Makawi and Hadi, 2023). According to this study, male hard ticks’ infestation is more common than female. This agrees with the results of Ismael and Omer (2020), who found that there was a 2:1 gender distribution of ticks, with more ticks in male than in female. Distribution of tick species, including Hyalomma, and Rhipocephalus, was recorded during the present study. Relative rates are consistent with the findings of Abadi et al. (2010), who discovered that 57% of ticks were male and 34% were female. The demonstrated the co-infestation of two hard tick species in specific regions, this is in line with the results of Ahmad et al. (2021), who addressed this important problem. The decreased the number of ticks produced was due to irritability, anemia, and an increase in the morbidity ratio; this agreed with Makawi et al. (2023), who noted that a 100% infestation rate of one or two species of hard tick was present on the long- eared hedgehog. The current study is similar to Muhammad, (1996) who diagnosed R. camicasi in the jackal from Baghdad Province, the capital of Iraq. This is the same in Chandra et al. (2019), who found on dogs and dromedary camels from Saudi Arabia, and also in Chandra et al. (2022), who recorded R. camicasi from a camel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Due to the opportunistic nature of R. camicasi, they prefer to be infested in cattle, sheep, goats, and camels (Walker et al., 2005; Hekimoğlu et al., 2016). That the parasite R. camicasi infested sheep as a new host in Iraq is attributed to the high proportion of imported sheep, as well as companion animals such as dogs, which are considered carriers of many external parasites. CONCLUSIONS The result of this study is the registration of Rhipicephalus camicasi as a new species on sheep in Iraq. The registration was confirmed using molecular and genetic sequencing, specifically the 12S ribosomal nucleotide sequence of the cox1 gene. This indicates a veterinary risk resulting from environmental changes in the country. Therefore, based on this study, we recommend conducting a comprehensive survey of hard ticks in the remaining Iraqi provinces to establish a database for researchers. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The researcher extends his thanks to the staff of the Department of Vertebrates, Iraq Natural History Research Center and Museum - University of Baghdad, especially Pro. Dr. Afkar M. Hadi for her assistance in confirming the diagnosis of the specimens, in addition to Assistant Lecturers Mareym M. Al-Khaiat and Yasameen S. Hasan for their assistance in photographing and figuring the specimens. 967 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Makawi, Z. A. CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT The author declares there are no contest interests. LITERATURE CITED Abadi, S. Y., Telmadarraiy, Z., Vatandoost, H., Chinikar, Z., Oshaghi, M. A., Moradi, M., Ardakan, E. M., Hekmat, S. and Nasiri, A. 2010. Hard ticks on domestic ruminants and their seasonal population dynamics in Yazd Province, Iran. Iran Journal of Arthropod Borne Disease, 4(1): 66-71. [Click here] Abdigoudarzi, M., Esmaeilnia, K. and Shariat, N. 2009. Laboratory study on biological control of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) by entomopathogenic indigenous fungi (Beauveria bassiana). Iran Journal Arthropod-borne Disease, 3(2):36-43. [Click here] Aghighi, Z., Assmar, M., Piazak, N., Javadian, E., Seyedi Rashti, M. A., Kia, E. B., Rassi, Y. and Vatandoost, H. 2007. Distribution of soft ticks and their natural infection with Borrelia in a focus of relapsing fever in Iran. Iran Journal Arthropod Borne Diseases, 1(2): 14-18. [ResearchGate] Ahmad, M., Khan, R. A., Ullah, Z., Mahmood, S., Khan, M. S., Khan, M. F., Akhtar, N., Khan, G. B., Yasmin, S., Ali, A., Saqlain, M. S., Tauseef, I. and Rahimullah, S. 2021. Prevalence of hard ticks in cows and buffaloes in District Malakand, Pakistan. Bioscience Research, 18(2): 1461-1470. [Click here] Aldidge, M. E., Elainefearon, J., Haynes, B. P., Miller, H. M., Sanford, K. Y., Scott, R. R., Anglin , W. W., Blalock, L. S., Buraks, B. L., Cohn-White, O. L., Franks, B. R., Giles, H. M., Greene, A. L., Hanby, R. D., Holliman, A. G., Mark kirby, J., Klein, A. W., Lehmann, C. A., Llyod, G., Lore, C. T., Mcmurray, T. B., Vinzmoody, Z., Palmer, P. N., Pansano, L. V., Pickle, R. M., Schaeffer, L. M., Seidl, J. R., Smith, J. D., Stepp, H. F., Satrio, F. A., Kutchy, N. A., Dechert, E., Rutherford, C., Brown, k., Purwantara, B. and Memili, E. 2019. Solutions for grand challenges in goat and sheep production. Biotropia, 26 (1): 55-64. [Click here] Al-Zubaidei, H. H., Hasson, R. H., Al-Ani, M. O., Fayyad, E. J., Abbas, S. F. and Al-Khfaji, T. H. 2023. Geographical distribution of Ixodidae (hard ticks) in all provinces of Iraq. Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 37 (IV):197-201. [Click here] Amills, M., Capote, J. and Tosser-Klopp, G. 2017. Goat domestication and breeding: a jigsaw of historical, biological and molecular data with missing pieces. Animal Genetics, 48(6):626-736. [CrossRef] Awad, A. H. H. and Abdul-Hussein, M. A. 2006. New record of two species of hard ticks from some domestic animals in Basrah-Iraq. Journal of Basrah Researches (Sciences), 32(1): 1-6. [Click here] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22808391/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3385533 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267703652_Distribution_of_Soft_Ticks_and_Their_Natural_Infection_with_Borrelia_in_a_Focus_of_Relapsing_Fever_in_Iran https://www.isisn.org/BR18(2)2021/1461-1470-18(2)2021BR21-169.pdf https://media.neliti.com/media/publications/267104-none-45192117.pdf https://www.vetmedmosul.com/article_182071_ba8e47c6fff2b3e6007289dcdb3b19fa.pdf https://doi.org/10.1111/age.12598 https://iasj.rdd.edu.iq/journals/uploads/2024/12/10/79f297e3b2852c8b842a669aad126eb7.pdf 968 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (4): 955-970. Dispersal of hard ticks Beati, L. and Keirans, J. E. 2001. Analysis of the systematic relation-ships among ticks of the genera Rhipicephalus and Boophilus (Acari: Ixodidae) based on mitochondrial 12S ribosomal DNA gene sequences and morphological characters. Journal of Parasitology, 87(1): 32-48. [Click here] Brites-Neto, J., Duarte, K. M. R. and Martins, T. F. 2015. Tick-borne infections in human and animal population worldwide. Veterinary World, 8(3): 301-315. [Click here] Chandra, S., Smith, K., Alanazi, A., Alyousif, M., Emery, D. and Šlapeta, J. 2019. Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato from dogs and dromedary camels in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: low prevalence of vector-borne pathogens in dogs detected using multiplexed tandem PCR panal. Folia Parasitologica, 66: (007): 2-13. [Click here] Chandra, S., Alanazi, A. D. and Šlapeta, J. 2022. Mitochondrial genome of Rhipicephalus cf. camicasi Morel, Mouchet et Rodhain, 1976 from a camel (Camelus dromedarius Linnaeus) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Folia Parasitologica, 69(005): 2-4. [Click here] Dabaja, F. M., Tempesta, M., Bayan, A., Vesco, G., Gerco, G., Torina, A., Blanda, V., La Russa, F., Scimeca, S., Lelli, R., Ezzedine, M. and Mortada, H. 2017. Diversity and distribution of ticks from domestic ruminants in Lebanon. Veternaria Italinana, 53(2): 147-155. [Click here] El-Seify, M. A., Mahran, O. M. and Abd El Aal, A. M. I. 2011. Epidemiological studies on hard ticks and tick borne parasites in Shalatin City red sea governorate, Egypt. Assiut of Veterinary Medicine Journal, 57(130): 1-28. [Click here] Hamid, M. M. and Al-Obaidi, Q. 2023. Prevalence of ovine theileriosis in Mosul city, Iraq. Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 37(1): 205-211.[ResearchGate] Hasson, R. H. 2012. Tick distribution and infestation among sheep and cattle in Baghdad’s south suburb. Kufa Journal for Veterinary Medical Sciences, 3 (1) :77-90. [Click here] Hekimoğlu, O., Sağlam, İ. K., Özer, N. and Estrada-Peña, A. 2016. New molecular data shed light on the global phylogeny and species limits of the Rhipicephalus sanguineus complex. Ticks and Tick Borne Disease, 7(5): 798-807. [Click here] Ismael, S. S. and Omer, L. T. 2020. Morphological and molecular study of hard ticks spices that infested small ruminants in Duhok Governorate, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Basra Journal of Veterinary Research, 19(1): 88-108. [Click here] Jongejan, F. and Uilenberg, G. 2004. The global importance of ticks. Parasitology, 129 suppl.: S 3-14. [CrossRef] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11227901/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4774835/ https://folia.paru.cas.cz/pdfs/fol/2019/01/07.pdf https://folia.paru.cas.cz/pdfs/fol/2022/01/05.pdf https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28675252/ https://avmj.journals.ekb.eg/article_176883_33454fdfba77e85202487c7a1059d37c.pdf https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366639938_Prevalence_of_ovine_theileriosis_in_Mosul_city_Iraq https://journal.uokufa.edu.iq/index.php/kjvs/article/view/4080/3736 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1877959X16300504?via%3Dihub https://iasj.rdd.edu.iq/journals/uploads/2024/12/26/76e1bd7462ae859a6c19a2c32e24871e.pdf https://doi.org/10.1017/s0031182004005967 969 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Makawi, Z. A. Kadir, M. A., Zangana, I. K. and Mustafa, B. H. S. 2012. A study on epidemiology of hard tick (Ixodidae) in sheep in Sulaimani Governorate - Iraq. Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 26 (3): 95-103. [CrossRef] Kushimo, O. M. 2013. The tick genus Amblyomma in Africa: phylogeny and mutilocus DNA barcoding. M. Sc. thesis of biology, Faculty of Georgia Southern University, Georgia, 835pp. [Click here] Makawi, Z. A. and Hadi, A. M. 2023. Identification of hard ticks from Buffalo Bubalus bubalis (Linnaeus, 1758) in Iraq. Bulletin of the Iraq Natural History Museum, 17 (3): 423-434 . [CrossRef] Makawi, Z. A., Hadi, A. M. and Khalaf, H. S. 2023. Molecular identification and phylogenetic-tree analysis of hard ticks from long eared hedgehog Hemiechinus auritus (Gmelin, 1770) in Iraq. Iraqi Journal of Science, 64 (8): 4722-4730. [Click here] Mohammad, M. K. and Jassim, S. Y. 2011. Distribution of hard tick species among sheep Ovis aries in AL-Anbar Province, western desert of Iraq. Bulletin of the Iraq Natural History Museum,11 (4): 27-31. [Click here] Muhammad, K. M. 1996. A bio- Taxonomic study on the hard ticks (Aciri: Ixodiae) of some domestic and wild animals from Iraq. Ph. D. thesis in Biology, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Iraq, 113pp. Robson, J. and Robb, J. M. 1967. Ticks (Ixodoidea) of domestic animals in Iraq, spring and early summer infestation in the Liwas of Baghdad, Kut, Amara, and Basra. Journal of Medicine Entomology, 4(3):289-293. [Click here] Tahmaz, Z. 2021. Investigation of ectoparasites infecting balk sheep in some regions in Erbil Governorate and study of some biochemical variables on animals infected with ticks and mites. M. Sc. thesis in Biology, College of Education for Women, University of Tikrit, Iraq, 75pp. Walker, A. R., Bouattour, A., Camicas, J. L., Estrada-Peña, A., Horak, I. G., Latif, A. A., Pegram, R. G. and Preston, P. M. 2014. Ticks of domestic animals in Africa: a guide to identification of species. Bioscience Reports, Edinburgh Scotland, UK, 221pp. [Click here] Walker, J. B., Keirans, J. E. and Horak, I. G. 2005. The genus Rhipicephalus (Acardi, Ixodidae): A guide to the brown ticks of the World. Second Edition, Cambridge University Press, New York, USA, 656 pp. [Click here] https://doi.org/10.33899/ijvs.2012.168745 https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1842&context=etd https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2023.17.3.0423 https://ijs.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/eijs/article/view/7686/3993 https://ijs.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/eijs/article/view/7686/3993 https://jnhm.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/BINHM/article/view/119 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6069350/ https://www.alanrwalker.com/assets/PDF/tickguide-africa.pdf https://api.pageplace.de/preview/DT0400.9781139382410_A25932707/preview-9781139382410_A25932707.pdf 970 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (4): 955-970. Dispersal of hard ticks Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. (2025) 18 (4): 955-970. Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758 الضأن( على Acari, Ixodidaeانتشار القراد الصلب ) مناطق مختلفة من العراقفي زينب علوان مكاوي ، العراق. بغداد، بغداد، جامعة الطبيعي ومتحف التاريخمركز بحوث 20/12/2025، النشر: 7/12/2025القبول: ،5/12/2025املراجعة: ،20/5/2025االستالم: الخالصة للقراد 400 عت ُجم ـــصلال نموذج )ــــ م 160 نــــم( ♀♀ 150، ♂♂ 250ب الضأن ــــــرأًسا ن Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758 أصل فحصها 200من تم من رأس مختلفة مناطق من حددت نتائج البحث الحالي ثمانية الضأن.% من 80، مما ُيمثل نسبة إصابة بلغت العراق هما جنسين، إلى تنتمي الصلب القراد من Hyalomma C.L. Koch 1844أنواع ، وهي:Ixodidaeتعود إلى عائلة Rhipicephalus Koch, 1844و Hyalomma anatolicum Koch, 1844, H. excavatum Koch, 1844, H. impeltatum Schulze & Schlottke, 1930, H. scupense Schulze, 1919, Rhipicephalus. bursa Canastrini & Fanzago, 1878, R. camicasi Morel, Mouchet & Rodhain, 1976, R. sanguineus Latreille, 1806, and R. turanicus Pomerantsev, 1936. النوع تشخيص لتأكيد الجيني والتسلسل الجزيئي التحليل جري ُ Rhipicephalusأ camicasi 12، باستخدام جينين هماS ribosomal RNAs (PV155242.1، PV155243.1 ) عّد cox1 (PV139200.1 ،PV139201.1و ُ ت األغنام أن إلى الحالية الدراسة توصلت اذ .) جديًدا لـ ً في العراق. R. camicasiمضيفا