Experimental Interspecific Hybridization of Ticks of Genus Ornithodoros

Abstract

We have carried out hybridizations between 5 species of ticks of the genus Ornithodoros Koch out of which 3 species of the subgenus Pavlovskyella Posp. — Shtr. (0. papillipes Bir., 1895, O. tartakovskyi Ol., 1931 and O. verrucosus Ol., Sas. et Fen., 1934) had identical sets of 16 chromosomes. O. papillipes and O. tartakovskyi are widely spread in Middle Asia; sometimes they settle together on the same microbiotopes. O. verrucosus is known in Zakavkazye, in Northern Caucasus and in South Ukraina but its area may coincide with areas of two other species on the territory of Iran and Turkey. O. nereensis Pavl. 1941 and O. alactagalis Issak., 1936 belong to subgenus Tberiqdoros Posp. — Shtr. and morphologically are very similar but differ greatly in sets of chromosomes. O. nereens is which has been found on a limited territory of south-west Turkmenia only has 24 or 26 chromosomes and O. alactagalis from Zakavkazye has 32 or 34 chromosomes.