Abstract
During our parasitological studies on ticks infesting humans, we noticed 127 ticks with abnormal morphology. Some of these specimens had local abnormalities including the absence of one or two legs, one porose area, one spiracle, while others had also general abnormalities such as asymmetric body, gynandromorphism, gigantism or caudal constriction. Most encountered tick species with abnormalities observed were Hyalomma marginatum (n = 113, 88.97 %), followed by Hyalomma excavatum (n = 3, 2.36 %) and Rhipicephalus turanicus (n = 3, 2.36 %). Atrophy or lack of the one adanal plate (n = 49, 38.58 %) was the most encountered local abnormalities. Other local abnormalities were atrophy or lack of one leg (n = 36, 28.35 %) and atrophy or lack one spiracle (n = 11, 8.66 %). The most encountered general abnormalities were asymmetry (n = 9, 7.08 %), constriction (n = 5, 3.93 %) and gynandromorphism (n = 4, 3.15 %), respectively. In the present study, morphological abnormalities in ticks collected on humans were investigated in detail for the first time and many forms of morphological abnormalities were reported for Turkey.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Apanaskevich DA, Horak IG (2008) The genus Hyalomma Koch, 1844: V. re-evaluation of the taxonomic rank of taxa comprising the H. (Euhyalomma) marginatum Koch complex of species (Acari: Ixodidae) with redescription of all parasitic stages and notes on biology. Int J Acarol 34(1):13–42
Buczek A (2000) Experimental teratogeny in the tick Hyalomma marginatum marginatum (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae): effect of high humidity on embryonic development. J Med Entomol 37:807–814
Campana-Rouget I (1959a) La tératologie des tiques (I). Ann Parasitol Hum Comp 34:209–260
Campana-Rouget I (1959b) La tératologie des tiques (fin). Ann Parasitol Hum Comp 34:354–431
Černý V (1957) Abnormity u některých zástupců středoevropské fauny klíšťat. Cas Csl Spol Entomol 54:162–171
Dergousoff SJ, Chilton NB (2007) Abnormal morphology of an adult Rocky Mountain wood tick, Dermacentor andersoni (Acari: Ixodidae). J Parasitol 93(3):708–709
Estrada-Peña A (2001) Abnormal development of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Ixodidae). Exp Appl Acarol 25(9):757–761
Estrada-Peña A, Bouattour A, Camicas JL, Walker AR (2004) Ticks of veterinary and medical importance: the Mediterranean basin. A guide of identification of species. University of Zaragoza Press, Zaragoza
Feldman-Muhsam B (1950) On some abnormalities in Hyalomma savignyi. Parasitology 40(1–2):93–95
Filippova NA (1997) Ixodid ticks of subfamily Amblyomminae. In fauna of Russia and neighbouring countries. Nauka Publishing House, St. Petersburg
Guglielmone AA, Castella J, Mangold AJ, Estrada-Pena A, Vinabal AE (1999) Phenotypic anomalies in a collection of neotropical ticks (Ixodidae). Acarologia 40:127–132
Kar S, Akyildiz G, Yilmazer N, Shaibi T, Gargili A, Vatansever Z (2015) External morphological anomalies in ixodid ticks from Thrace, Turkey. Exp Appl Acarol 67(3):457–466
Keskin A, Bursali A, Tekin S (2012) A case of gynandromorphism in Hyalomma marginatum Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae). J Parasitol 98(6):1271–1272
Labruna MB, Ribeiro AF, Cruz MV, Camargo LMA, Camargo EP (2002) Gynandromorphism in Amblyomma cajennense and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Acari: Ixodidae). J Parasitol 88(4):810–811
Latif AA, Dhadialla TS, Newson RM (1988) Abnormal development of Amblyomma variegatum (Acarina: Ixodidae). J Med Entomol 25(2):142–143
Neumann LG (1899) Anomalie d’ixodidés. Arch Parasitol 2:463–465
Nowak-Chmura M (2012) Teratological changes in tick morphology in ticks feeding on exotic reptiles. J Nat Hist 46(15–16):911–921
Oliver JH Jr, Delfin ED (1967) Gynandromorphism in Dermacentor occidentalis (Acari: Ixodidae). Ann Entomol Soc Am 60(5):1119–1121
Pervomaisky GS (1950) New gynandromorph ticks of the genus Hyalomma Koch (Acarina, Ixodidae). Entomol Obozr 1–2:113–120
Prusinski MA, Mertins JW, Meehan LJ (2015) Two gynandromorphs of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) from New York State. J Med Entomol 52(2):278–282
Senevet G (1922) Monstruosités chez deux tiques. Bull Soc Hist Nat Afr Nord 13:95
Tovornik D (1987) Teratological forms of ixodid ticks. Biol Vestnik 35:91–100
Walker BJ, Keirans JE, Horak IG (2000) The genus Rhipicephalus (Acari, Ixodidae): a guide to the brown ticks of the world. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Yalvac S, Ozkan M (1980) Ixodidae’de bazı yapısal bozukluklar. VII. TÜBİTAK Bilim Kongresi, Matematik Fiziki ve Biyolojik Bilimler Araştırma Grubu Tebliğleri (Biyoloji Seksiyonu), 6 - 10 Ekim 1980; Aydın, Türkiye, TÜBİTAK Yayınları, pp 609–612
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by A. Schmidt-Rhaesa.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Keskin, A., Simsek, E., Bursali, A. et al. Morphological abnormalities in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) feeding on humans in Central Black Sea region, Turkey. Zoomorphology 135, 167–172 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-016-0306-y
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-016-0306-y