Ticks and mites (subphylum Chelicerata; subclass Acari) include important pests of animals
and plants worldwide. The Ixodes scapularis (black-legged tick) genome sequencing project
marks the beginning of the genomics era for the field of acarology. This project is the first to
sequence the genome of a blood-feeding tick vector of human disease and a member of the
subphylum Chelicerata. Genome projects for other species of Acari are forthcoming and
their genome sequences will likely feature significantly in the future of tick research …