First records of the tick Ixodes frontalis (Panzer, 1795) (Acari, Ixodidae) in Slovakia

Ixodes frontalis (Panzer, 1975) is a three-host tick usually considered strictly specific to birds. The first evidence of I. frontalis from Slovakia is presented in this paper. One male and 4 nymphs were collected using the flagging method in 2 different geomorphological units, the Slovak Karst and the Zvolen basin, during collections in the autumn of 2011, and next in spring and autumn 2012. The fact that we managed to capture 2 different stages of I. frontalis several times on vegetation supports one of the following hypotheses: (i) The ticks are frequently imported by migratory birds, or (ii) a permanent surviving population currently exists in Central Europe.