New records of ticks infesting bats in Brazil, with observations on the first nymphal stage of Ornithodoros hasei

Author(s)

Munoz-Leal, S. ^[1] ; Barbier, E. ^[2] ; Soares, F. A. M. ^[3] ; Bernard, E. ^[2] ; Labruna, M. B. ^[1] ; Dantas-Torres, F. ^[4]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med Vet & Zootecnia, Dept Med Vet Prevent & Saude Anim, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Pernambuco, Ctr Biociencias, Dept Zool, Recife, PE - Brazil

^[3] Univ Fed Bahia, Programa Posgrad Ecol, Salvador, BA - Brazil

^[4] Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz Fiocruz, Inst Aggeu Magalhaes, Dept Imunol, Recife, PE - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Experimental and Applied Acarology; v. 76, n. 4, p. 537-549, DEC 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 2

Abstract

In Brazil, at least 14 species of soft ticks (Argasidae) are associated with bats. While Ornithodoros hasei seems to be abundant among foliage-roosting bats, other groups of ticks are found exclusively inside caves. In this paper, noteworthy records of soft ticks infesting bats are documented in new localities from Bahia, Pernambuco, Piaui, and Rondonia states. Out of 201 bats examined, 25 were infested by 152 ticks belonging to seven taxa: Ornithodoros cavernicolous, O. hasei, Ornithodoros marinkellei, Ornithodoros cf. fonsecai, Ornithodoros cf. clarki, Antricola sp., and Nothoaspis amazoniensis. These findings provide new insights into the geographical distribution and host association of soft ticks occurring in the Neotropical region. Remarkably, morphological and biological observations about O. hasei are inferred based on the examination of on-host-collected first stage nymphs. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/02521-1 - Study on tick relapsing fever group spirochetes (Spirochaetaceae: Borrelia) on ticks of genus Ornithodoros (Acari: Argasidae) parasitizing humans in Brazil
• Grantee: Sebastián Alejandro Munoz Leal
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral