Abstract
The status of Argas persicus in Australia has been a matter of controversy for over 25 years. Although early records of A. persicus sensu stricto are common, a major revision of the genus indicated that these records refer to A. robertsi, first described in 1968 from northern Australia, and to an “undescribed” member of the complex occurring in the south. Here, we show that A. persicus sensu stricto does occur in southern Australia and is the only species of Argas in the area recorded from poultry. Another undescribed species belonging to the A. persicus complex, from crows’ nests near Lake Eyre in South Australia, was also discovered. This information is of considerable epidemiological significance, as A. persicus sensu stricto is a major vector for a number of highly pathogenic diseases of poultry, not all of which have yet been recorded from Australia.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Black WC IV, Piesman J (1994) Phylogeny of hard- and soft-tick taxa (Acari: Ixodida) based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA sequences. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91:10034–10038
Blakers M, Davies SJJF, Reilly PN (1984) The atlas of Australian birds. Melbourne University Press, Melbourne
El Kammah KM, Oyoun LMI, Gabr HSM (2002) Studies on the feeding effects of Argas persicus and A. hermanni (Acari: Argasidae) on chicken and pigeon blood and plasma protein. Int J Acarol 28:273–276
Gothe R, Buchheim C, Schrecke W (1981a) Argas (Persicargus) persicus und Argas (Argas) africolumbae Populationen aus Obervolta. Berl Muench Tieraertzl Wochenschr 94:280–285
Gothe R, Buchheim C, Schrecke W (1981b) Zur Parlyse-indutzierenden Kapazitaet wildstaemmiger Argas (Persicargus) persicus und Argas (Argas) africolumbae als natuerliche biologische Uebertraeger von Borrelia anserina und Aegyptioella pullorum in Obervolta. Berl Muench Tieraertzl Wochenschr 94:299–302
Halliday B (1998) Mites of Australia: a checklist and bibliography. CSIRO, Melbourne
Hoogstraal H (1981) Changing patterns of tick-borne diseases in modern society. Annu Rev Entomol 26:75–99
Hoogstraal H (1985) Argasid and nuttalliellid ticks as parasites and vectors. Adv Parasitol 24:135–238
Hoogstraal H, Kohls GM (1963) Observations on the subgenus Argas (Ixodoidea, Argasidae, Argas). 6. Redescription and biological notes on A. lagenoplastis Froggert, 1906 of Australian fairy martins, Hylochelidon ariel (Gould). Ann Entomol Soc Am 56:577–582
Hoogstraal H, Kaiser MN, Kohls GM (1968) The subgenus Persicargas (Ixodoidea, Argasidae, Argas). 4. Argas (P.) robertsi, new species, a parasite of Australian fowl, and keys to the Australian argasid species. Ann Entomol Soc Am 61:535–539
Kaiser M N, Hoogstraal H, Kohls GM (1964) The subgenus Persicargas, new subgenus (Ixodoidea, Argasidae, Argas). 1. A. (P.) arboreus, new species, an Egyptian persicus-like parasite of wild birds, with a redefinition of the subgenus Argas. Ann Entomol Soc Am 62:60–69
Keirans JE, Durden LA (2001) Invasion: exotic ticks (Acari: Argasidae, Ixodidae) imported into the United States. A review and new records. J Med Entomol 38:850–861
Kohls GM, Hoogstraal H, Clifford CM, Kaiser MN (1970) The subgenus Persicargas (Ixodoidea, Argasidae, Argas). 9. Redescription and New World records of Argas (P.) persicus (Oken), and resurrection and redescription, and records of A. (P.) radiatus Raillet, A. (P). sanchezi Dugès, and A. (P.) miniatus Koch, New World ticks misidentified as A. (P.) persicus. Ann Entomol Soc Am 63:590–606
Kumar S, Tamura K, Jakobsen IB, Nei M (2001) MEGA2: molecular evolutionary genetics analysis software. Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz.
Rehacek J, Urvalgyi J, Kovacova E (1977) Massive occurrence of rickettsiae of the spotted fever group in fowl tampan, Argas persicus, in Armenia SSR. Acta Virol 21:431–438
Roberts FHS (1952) Insects affecting livestock. Angus and Robertson, Sydney
Roberts FHS (1970) Australian ticks. CSIRO, Melbourne
Rosenstein M (1976) Paralysis of chickens caused by larvae of the poultry tick Argas persicus. Avian Dis 20:407–409
Seddon HR (1965) Diseases of domestic animals in Australia. Part 5 Bacterial diseases. Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Health, Canberra
Stefanov V, Matev I, Balimezov I (1975) Role of ticks of the species Argas persicus Oken, 1818, in the epizootology of pullorum disease in birds (in Bulgarian). Vet Med Nauk 12:45–50
Thompson JD, Gibson TJ, Plewniak F, Jeanmougin J, Higgins DG (1997) The Clustal X interface: flexible strategies for multiple sequence alignment aided by quality analysis tools. Nucleic Acids Res 25:4876–4882
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Prof. Ian Beveridge for information on the present-day significance of Borrelia anserina for poultry in Australia. We are grateful to the South Australian Museum and the Australian National Insect Collection for the use of their tick collections. We also wish to acknowledge the support of OLYMPUS Australia.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Petney, T.N., Andrews, R.H., McDiarmid, L.A. et al. Argas persicus sensu stricto does occur in Australia. Parasitol Res 93, 296–299 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-004-1141-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-004-1141-5