A review of the Afrotropical sand tampan, Ornithodoros savignyi: a complex species.

Abstract The sand tampan, Ornithodoros savignyi (Audouin, 1827), is an economically important soft tick of the Afrotropics parasitising a wide range of livestock and humans. These ticks are known to inflict painful bites which may be fatal in susceptible hosts. Historically thought to be a single species, Ornithodoros savignyi is now considered to be a complex of four tick subspecies based on molecular and morphological studies. They include Ornithodoros (Ornithodoros) kalahariensis, O. (O.) pavimentosus, O. (O.) noorsveldensis and O. (O.) savignyi. As such there may be significant implications for previous biological studies conducted on this tick. Therefore, for the purposes of this review, sand tampan toxicosis and potentially useful biological molecules have been discussed for O. (O.) savignyi sensu lato since most reported work was based on ticks collected from the Kalahari and Lake Chad region. An overview of the host range and vector biology for the O. (O.) savignyi species complex will also be examined.