Electronic polytomous and dichotomous keys to the genera and species of hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) present in New Zealand

Abstract

New Zealand has a relatively small tick fauna, with nine described and one undescribed species belonging to the genera Ornithodoros, Amblyomma, Haemaphysalis and Ixodes. Although exotic hard ticks (Ixodidae) are intercepted in New Zealand on a regular basis, the country has largely remained free of these organisms and the significant diseases that they can vector. However, professionals in the biosecurity, health and agricultural industries in New Zealand have little access to user-friendly identification tools that would enable them to accurately identify the ticks that are already established in the country or to allow recognition of newly arrived exotics. The lack of access to these materials has the potential to lead to delays in the identification of exotic tick species. This is of concern as 40-60% of exotic ticks submitted for identification by biosecurity staff in New Zealand are intercepted post border. This article presents dichotomous and polytomous keys to the eight species of hard tick that occur in New Zealand. These keys have been digitised using Lucid ® and Phoenix ® software and are deployed at http://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/hard_ticks/Ixodidae genera.html in a form that allows use by non-experts. By enabling non-experts to carry out basic identifications, it is hoped that professionals in the health and agricultural industries in New Zealand can play a greater role in surveillance for exotic ticks.

Phylogenetic analysis of the Australasian paralysis ticks and their relatives (Ixodidae: Ixodes: Sternalixodes)

“…In addition, electron micrographs were taken using a Hitachi TM3030 Tabletop Scanning Electron Microscope, Germany. All Australian and Papuan tick species were identified using keys by Roberts [ 1 ]; whereas I. anatis specimens were identified following Hardwick [ 15 ] and I. auritulus Neumann, 1904 specimens were identified by A. Heath and A. Guglielmone.…”