First Description of the Nymph and Larva ofDermacentor raskemensis(Acari: Ixodidae), Parasites of Pikas and Other Small Mammals in Central Asia

Abstract

Dermacentor raskemensis Pomerantzev, 1946 is one of the rare Asian species in this genus. The immature stages of this species have never been described. Reexamination of D. raskemensis holdings stored in the United States National Tick Collection revealed a collection lot containing reared nymphs and larvae of this species. This collection made it possible for us to find numerous nymphs and larvae of D. raskemensis among previously unidentified material collected in the field. Both immature stages of D. raskemensis are described here for the first time. Nymphs of D. raskemensis can be distinguished from those of other Dermacentor species in the region by small spiracular plate, relatively short and obtuse lateral projections of basis capituli dorsally, relatively short spurs on coxa I and the internal spur is characteristically very broadly rounded at its apex, and very small spur on coxa IV, whereas larvae of D. raskemensis can be distinguished from other Dermacentor by relatively short and obtuse lateral projections of basis capituli, ≈6 denticles in the median files on hypostome, and relatively short, broad, and rounded spur on coxa I. The nymphs and larvae of D. raskemensis studied originate from Afghanistan, India, Iran, and Pakistan, where they were collected from pikas and other small mammals.

Birds and hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae), with discussions about hypotheses on tick evolution

“…The genera with new information on this topic are Amblyomma after the studies of with Amblyomma integrum Karsch, 1879 andMuñoz-Leal et al (2016) with Amblyomma parvitarsum Neumann, 1901, and Dermacentor based on the studies of Apanaskevich (2013), Apanaskevich and Bermúdez (2013), Apanaskevich et al (2014) and Apanaskevich andApanaskevich (2015, 2016). Many of these species have been found on Aves, 68 species of Ixodes (67 in plus Ixodes asanumai Kitaoka, 1973in Takano et al, 2014, and 152 of Metastriata (147 in plus Amblyomma auricularium (Conil, 1878) in Lugarini et al, 2015, A. integrum in Apanaskevich et al 2016, Amblyomma rotundatum Koch, 1844 in Scott and Durden, 2015, Amblyomma varium Koch, 1884in Lugarini et al (2015 and Dermacentor bellulus (Schulze, 1935) in Apanaskevich and Apanaskevich, 2015).…”

First Molecular-Based Confirmation of Dermacentor marginatus and Associated Rickettsia raoultii and Anaplasma marginale in the Hindu Kush Mountain Range

“…Recently, Dermacentor atrosignatus has been reinstated as Dermacentor tricuspis, and D. atrosignatus has been considered as a synonym of D. tricuspis [9,10]. A single species of the genus Dermacentor, i.e., Dermacentor raskemensis, has been confirmed and reported from Pakistan based on the collection of immature and adult stages [11][12][13].…”