The dataset of ticks in South America

The datasets of records of the distribution of ticks are invaluable tools to understand the phylogenetic patterns of evolution of ticks and the abiotic traits to which they are associated. Such datasets require an exhaustive collection of bibliographical references. In most cases, it is necessary the confirmation of reliable identification of ticks, together with an update of the scientific names of the vertebrate hosts. For some biogeographic regions, these data are not easily available, because many records were published in the so-called “grey literature”. We introduce the Dataset of Ticks in South America, a repository that collates data on more than 7,000 records of ticks, together with a set of abiotic traits, curated from satellite-derived information over the complete target region. The dataset includes data about ticks collected on wild hosts, with a special chapter devoted to species of cattle. It includes details of the phylogenetic relationships of the species of hosts, to provide researchers with both the biotic and abiotic traits, driving the distribution of ticks in South America.