Description of a New Argasid Tick (Acari: Ixodida) from Bat Caves in Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

Nothoaspis amazoniensis n. sp. (Acari: Ixodida: Argasidae) is described from adult and immature ticks (nymph II, nymph I, larva) collected from bat caves in the Brazilian Amazon. Also, 16S rDNA sequences are provided. The diagnostic characters for adults are the presence of false shield or nothoaspis, an anteriorly projecting hood covering the capitulum, a medial extension of palpal article I (flaps), genital plate extending from coxa I to IV, absence of 2 setae on the internal margin of the flaps, a minute hypostome without denticles, presence of a central pore in the base of hypostome, and a reticulate surface pattern on the posterior half of the nothoaspis in males. The nymph II stage is characterized by a hood that is small in relation to the capitulum, short coxal setae, palpal flaps lacking setae on the internal margin, long hypostome, pointed with dentition 4/4 apically, and the anterior half of the body is covered by a cell-like configuration. Nymph I stage is characterized by a hood, small in relation to the capitulum, dorsum of the body covered by a cell-like configuration, venter integument covered by a cell-like configuration, and hypostome dentition 4/4 with apices that are "V"-shaped. Diagnostic characters of the larvae are the number and size of dorsal setae, and the shape of scutum and hypostome. The new species appears to have a life cycle with a larva that feeds on bats, a non-feeding nymphal stage (nymph I), a feeding nymphal stage (nymph II), and adults that probably represent non-feeding stages.

Ticks parasitizing bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in the Caatinga Biome, Brazil

“…The single larva of Antricola was identified to genus level by the presence of three postcoxal setae (KOHLS et al, 1965) (Figure 1). One fully engorged larva of Nothoaspis amazoniensis Nava, Venzal & Labruna 2010 was identified by the following combination of characters: dorsal plate elongate and triangular; dorsum with 12-13 setae pairs (5-6 anterolateral, 3 central, and 4 posterolateral); venter with 10 pairs of setae; posteromedian setae absent; 3 pairs of sternal setae; 1 pair of post-coxal setae; 5 pairs of circumanal setae; 1 pair of ventral posteromarginal setae and basis capituli pentagonal, following Nava et al (2010) (Figure 2). dorsal plate pyriform, 15 pairs of dorsolateral setae and 4 pairs of central setae; hypostome apically pointed with 3 rows of denticles (17-19 denticles in row I; 16-17 in row II, and 11-12 in row III); dentition formula 3/3 in the anterior two-thirds and 2/2 towards the base; hypostome arising from a triangular median extension (KOHLS et al, 1965); 4) O. marinkellei: dorsal plate long and narrow, triangular, surface smooth, posterior margin slightly concave; dorsum with 13 pairs of setae, 7 anterolateral, 3 central, and 3 posterolateral, 3 first anterolateral setae short and thick; venter with 8 pairs of setae plus pair on anal valves; posteromedian setae absent; hypostome with dental formula 2/2 throughout length, file 1 with 21 denticles and file 2 with 20-21 denticles, additional denticles around apex, apex pointed, presence of two cornua-like projections in the posterior margin of basis capitulum (LABRUNA et al, 2011) (Figures 1, 2).…”

“…Fully engorged specimens were measured using a stereoscope SteREO Discovery V12 (all measurements are given in mm). Ticks were identified at genus level according to Barros-Battesti et al (2013), and species diagnoses followed Kohls et al (1969), Jones & Clifford (1972), and original descriptions of other Neotropical Ornithodorinae (KEIRANS & CLIFFORD, 1975;NAVA et al, 2010;DANTAS-TORRES et al, 2012). Additional comparisons of immature specimens were made using part of the material deposited at the "Coleção Nacional de Carrapatos" (CNC) of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.…”

“…The family Argasidae, known as soft ticks, comprises more than 200 species worldwide with 91 representatives in the Neotropics (NAVA et al, 2010;GUGLIELMONE et al, 2010;BARROS-BATTESTI et al, 2013VENZAL et al, 2015;MUÑOZ-LEAL et al, 2016a;LABRUNA et al, 2016). While in Brazil Argasidae is represented by 24 species belonging to Antricola, Argas, Nothoaspis, and Ornithodoros genera, at least 19 species belong to the genus Ornithodoros: Ornithodoros brasiliensis Aragão, 1923;Ornithodoros capensis Neumann, 1901; Ornithodoros fonsecai (Labruna & Venzal, 2009); Ornithodoros guaporensis Nava, Venzal & Labruna, 2013; Ornithodoros hasei (Schulze, 1935); Ornithodoros jul Schulze, 1940; Ornithodoros kohlsi (Guglielmone & Keirans, 2002); Ornithodoros marinkellei Kohls, Clifford & Jones, 1969; Ornithodoros mimon Kohls, Clifford & Jones, 1969;Ornithodoros nattereri Warburton, 1927; Ornithodoros rondoniensis (Labruna, Terrassini, Camargo, Brandão, Ribeiro & Estrada-Peña, 2008); Ornithodoros rostratus Aragão, 1911; Ornithodoros rudis Karsh, 1880; Ornithodoros setosus Kohls, Clifford & Jones, 1969; Ornithodoros stageri Cooley & Kohls, 1941; Ornithodoros talaje (Guérin-Méneville, 1849); Ornithodoros faccinii Barros-Battesti, Landulfo & Luz, 2015; Ornithodoros cavernicolous Dantas-Torres, Venzal & Labruna, 2012 and Ornithodoros rietcorreai Labruna, Nava & Venzal, 2016(GUGLIELMONE et al, 2010DANTAS-TORRES et al, 2012;BARROS-BATTESTI et al, 2013WOLF et al, 2016;LABRUNA et al, 2016).…”

Levantamento de carrapatos, seus hospedeiros e agentes infecciosos associados, na estação ecológica Samuel, Rondônia, Brasil.

“…padronizados por um coletor/hora (Figura 6). Outra técnica empregada em conjunto foi a "busca visual" utilizada há muitos anos na região para coleta de carrapatos de vida livre e descrita recentemente por Terassini et al (2010) floresta densa e com poucas trilhas um total de 39.600 m em cerca de 2.640min (44h/total), registrando 900 m a cada 60min de atividades.…”

“…triste, que são incriminados na transmissão da febre maculosa e outras riquetsioses para humanos no Brasil GUEDES et al, 2005;LABRUNA, 2004a;LABRUNA, 2004b;SILVEIRA et al, 2007;LABRUNA, 2009a (LABRUNA et al, 2005e;BARROS-BATTESTI et al, 2006;DANTAS-TORRES et al, 2009;NAVA et al, 2010;MARTINS et al, 2010 Kohls et al (1969).…”