On the way between Africa and Europe: Molecular taxonomy of ticks collected from birds in Malta.

The Maltese Archipelago is situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Basin, between Europe and Africa, therefore representing an important stopover site for migratory birds between these two continents. Despite this, up-to-date information is not available on tick species associated with birds in Malta. Therefore, in this study, birds mist-netted for ringing by BirdLife Malta were examined for the presence of ticks between September, 2019 and May, 2021.