Ticks (Acari: Ixodoidea: Argasidae, Ixodidae) of Chile

Abstract

The tick species recorded from Chile can be listed under the following headings: (1) endemic or established: Argas keiransi Estrada-Peña, Venzal and Gonzalez-Acuña, A. neghmei Kohls and Hoogstraal; Ornithodoros amblus Chamberlin; Otobius megnini (Dugès); Amblyomma parvitarsum Neumann; A. tigrinum Koch; Ixodes auritulus Neumann; I. chilensis Kohls; I. cornuae Arthur, I. sigelos Keirans, Clifford and Corwin; I. stilesi Neumann; I. uriae White; Rhipicephalus sanguineus Koch. (2) Probably established or endemic: Argas miniatus Koch; Ornithodoros spheniscus Hoogstraal, Wassef, Hays and Keirans; Ixodes abrocomae Lahille; I. neuquenensis Ringuelet; I. pararicinus Keirans and Clifford. (3) Doubtfully established: Argas reflexus Fabricius; Ornithodoros talaje (Guérin-Méneville). (4) Exotic: Amblyomma argentinae Neumann; A. latum Koch, Rhipicephalus (= Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini). (5) Erroneously identified as present in Chile: Amblyomma americanum (Linnaeus); A. maculatum Koch; A. varium Koch; Ixodes conepati Cooley and Kohls; I. frontalis (Panzer); I. ricinus (Linnaeus); Margaropus winthemi Karsch. (6) Nomina nuda: Argas reticulatus Gervais; Amblyomma inflatum Neumann; Ixodes lagotis Gervais. Hosts and localities (including new records) are presented. Argas neghmei, O. amblus, O. megnini, I. uriae and R. sanguineus may cause severe injury to their hosts, including humans. The Chilean Ixodes fauna is unique to the Neotropical Zoogeographic Region, and additional research is needed in order to understand the biological importance of these species.

Borrelia chilensis, a new member of theBorrelia burgdorferisensu lato complex that extends the range of this genospecies in theSouthernHemisphere

“…The Chilean ixodids unique to the neotropical zoogeographic region and their hosts include several other endemic or established species of ixodid ticks besides I. stilesi ( I. auritulus , I. chilensis , I. cornuae , I. neuquenensis I. sigelos , I. uriae , I. taglei ) and many potential hosts (Kohls, 1969; González-Acuña and Guglielmone, 2005; Marín-Vial et al, 2007). …”

“…Chile has a wide range of climatic conditions and many biotopes including some similar to those in the Northern Hemisphere, as well as ixodid ticks and host animals. Ixodes stilesi is a well-characterized tick endemic to Chile (Kohls, 1956; González-Acuña and Guglielmone, 2005). It has been shown to parasitize long-tailed pygmy rice rats (colilargos) ( Oligoryzomys longicaudatus ) and pudu deer ( Pudu puda ), species indigenous to Southern Chile and Southwestern Argentina (Kohls, 1969; Guglielmone et al, 2006a; Guglielmone et al, 2007).…”

The tick Ixodes uriae (Acari: Ixodidae): Hosts, geographical distribution, and vector roles

“…The record of Phalacrocorax verrucosus Cabanis 1875 (= Leucocarbo verrucosus) in Isla Navarino, southern Chile (Lahille, 1905), is controversial since this cormorant species is endemic to the Kerguelen Islands (South Indean Ocean) (Fonteneau and Cook, 2013). Therefore, this record is considered as an erroneous host diagnosis (González-Acuña and Guglielmone, 2005).…”

Flea and ticks species from dogs in urban and rural areas in four districts in Chile

“…Unlike fleas, which can be found throughout Chile, ticks have a more specific geographic distribution. A. tigrinum has been reported in Pirque and Santiago (Metropolitan District) (Abarca et al 2013), Nahuelbuta National Park (Araucanía District), Arauco, Concepción (Biobío District), Valparaíso and Santo Domingo (Valparaíso District) (González-Acuña and Guglielmone 2005); R. sanguineus can be found from Viña del Mar (Valparaíso District) (Alcaíno 1985), to Concepción (Biobío District) (Muñoz andCasanueva 2002, González-Acuña and and Aysén District (Mastropaolo et al 2008); and Amblyomma triste was first found in rural areas near the city of Arica (Abarca et al 2012).…”