Mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequences help identify North American ticks in the genus Argas (Acari: Argasidae).

Abstract

Argas (Acari: Argasidae) ticks in the United States include 8 species that parasitize domestic fowl and numerous wild avian species. Ticks infesting a single nest tree of a bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus) in southern Arizona (United States) were received for identification and included 2 species, Argas (Persicargas) radiatus Railliet (Acari: Argasidae) and Argas (Persicargas) ricei Hoogstraal, Kaiser, Clifford & Keirans (Acari: Argasidae). Their identities were based on key morphological characters supported by mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequences compared to museum reference specimens. DNA sequences of Argas ticks collected from rocky cliffs in northwestern Arizona identified a novel species most closely related to Argas (Argas) monolakensis Schwan, Corwin & Brown (Acari: Argasidae). Another collection from a communal enclosure containing California condors, Gymnogyps californianus (Shaw) in the San Diego Zoo, California (United States) consisted of all active stages of A. (P.) ricei. The examination of these ticks led to an expanded analysis of other Argas species in the United States with a review of their current status.