First report of Ixodes (Ixodes) minor Neumann (Acari : Ixodidae) from South Carolina

Previous reports from the literature have indicated the northernmost range of extension of Ixodes minor Neumann to be southern Georgia with the greatest number of collections having been made in the coastal regions of that state. An unpublished record in the U.S. National Tick Collection indicated that I. minor had been collected as far north as South Island, Georgetown County, S.C., as early as 1933. I. minor was collected on three separate occasions in Charleston County, S.C., between October 1990 and February 1991, thus verifying the northern extension of this tick's range and the probable existence of a stable population on the coast of South Carolina. The roof rat (Rattus rattus) is reported for the first time serving as a host for I. minor.