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Morphological anomalies in Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes inopinatus collected from tick-borne encephalitis natural foci in Central Europe

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Abstract

In 2015, 0.02% nymphs displayed anomalies (ectromely) out of the 6744 collected ticks as part of a tick-borne encephalitis program in Germany. In 2016, questing Ixodes ricinus (n = 14,527) and Ixodes inopinatus (n = 75) ticks were collected by flagging as part of a tick-borne encephalitis program in Germany, Slovakia and Denmark. A total of 278 (1.9%) out of 14,602 nymph and adult ticks showed morphological anomalies. The anomalies were divided into general anomalies (body asymmetry) and local anomalies (anomalies of appendages, malformation of capitulum, exoskeleton anomalies and anal groove deformation) with nymphs being the most affected life stage. Most important, leg atrophy was the most common anomaly (209 nymphs, 11 females and three males) followed by asymmetry (10 nymphs, five females and a male) and ectromely (nine nymphs). Two females and one male displayed multiple anomalies on legs, palps and exoskeleton. Anal groove deformation was observed in three females and three nymphs. In 2016, the frequency of anomalies in I. inopinatus was found five times higher (9.3%) than in I. ricinus (1.9%). This is the first report of anomaly (ectromely, leg atrophy, idiosoma deformation) in flagged I. inopinatus and the first report of schizomely in I. ricinus.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Martin O. Andersson for his valuable comments. Part of this work was funded by the German Center of Infection Research (DZIF).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Neuherbergstrasse 11, 80937, Munich, Germany

    Lidia Chitimia-Dobler & Gerhard Dobler

  2. German Center of Infection Research (DZIF) Partner Munich, Munich, Germany

    Lidia Chitimia-Dobler & Gerhard Dobler

  3. Parasitology Unit, University of Hohenheim, Emil-Wolff-Str. 35, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany

    Malena Bestehorn & Gerhard Dobler

  4. Pappelweg 30, 35041, Marburg, Federal State Hesse, Germany

    Michael Bröker

  5. Division of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hugstetterstraße 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany

    Johannes Borde

  6. Praxis Dr. Borde, Am Markplatz 8, 77704, Oberkirch, Germany

    Johannes Borde

  7. Surgeon General Office, Armed Forces of Slovak Republic, gen. M. Vesela 23, Ružomberok, Slovakia

    Tomas Molcanyi

  8. Clinical Center of Emerging and Vector-Borne Infections, Odense University Hospital and Research Unit of Clinical Microbiology, University of Southern, Odense, Denmark

    Nanna Skaarup Andersen

  9. Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, Veterinary Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    Martin Pfeffer

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  1. Lidia Chitimia-Dobler
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  2. Malena Bestehorn
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  3. Michael Bröker
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  4. Johannes Borde
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  7. Martin Pfeffer
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  8. Gerhard Dobler
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Correspondence to Lidia Chitimia-Dobler.

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Chitimia-Dobler, L., Bestehorn, M., Bröker, M. et al. Morphological anomalies in Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes inopinatus collected from tick-borne encephalitis natural foci in Central Europe. Exp Appl Acarol 72, 379–397 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-017-0163-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-017-0163-5

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