The East Indies reptile tick Amblyomma helvolum Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae), taxonomy, biology and new host records, including the first record of human infestation

Mackenzie L Kwak; Max D Jones; Madison E A Harman; Samantha N Smith; Anji D'souza; Tyler Knierim; Curt H Barnes; Surachit Waengsothorn; Ace Kevin S Amarga; Chi-Chien Kuo; Ryo Nakao

doi:10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102224

The East Indies reptile tick Amblyomma helvolum Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae), taxonomy, biology and new host records, including the first record of human infestation

Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2023 Nov;14(6):102224. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102224. Epub 2023 Jul 7.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, 9 Chome Kita 18 Jonishi, Kita Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan.
² Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, VA, United States.
³ Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
⁴ Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States.
⁵ Sakaerat Enviromental Research Station, Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
⁶ Center of Excellence for Ecoinformatics, School of Science, Walailak University, Thai Buri, Tha Sala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand.
⁷ Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.

PMID: 37422945
DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102224

Abstract

Amblyomma helvolum is a widespread, generalist ectoparasite of reptiles in the oriental region, and has the potential to become highly invasive should it be inadvertently introduced outside its native range through the exotic pet trade. All life stages of A. helvolum are re-characterised morphologically and the first examples of nanism (dwarfism) and gynandromorphy (male and female tissue in one animal) for the species are described. Eighteen new hosts records are presented for A. helvolum, including the first case of human infestation. The taxonomy, distribution, ecology, phenology, disease associations, and invasion biology of the species are also discussed.

Keywords: Ectoparasite; Gynandromorphy; Nanism; Southeast Asia; Thailand.

Publication types

Case Reports
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Amblyomma
Animals
Biology
Female
Humans
Indonesia
Ixodidae*
Male
Reptiles
Tick Infestations* / epidemiology
Tick Infestations* / veterinary
Ticks*