Hymenopteran Parasitoids of Hard Ticks in Western Africa and the Russian Far East

Abstract

Some parasitoids of the genus Ixodiphagus (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea: Encyrtidae) are well-known natural enemies of ticks. In this study, we investigate the occurrence of parasitoid wasps in adult hard ticks from Western Africa (Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal) and Far Eastern Europe (Russia) using molecular methods. The morphological identification allowed the classification of 785 collected specimens of six species of ticks: Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (41%), Ixodes persulcatus (33%), Dermacentor silvarum (11%), Haemaphysalis concinna (7%), Amblyomma variegatum (5%), and Haemaphysalis japonica (3%). The newly developed MALDI-TOF MS protocol identified tick species in spite of their different storage (dried or in 70% ethanol) conditions for a long period. Molecular screening of ticks by a new standard PCR system developed in this study revealed the presence of parasitoid wasp DNA in 3% (28/785) of analyzed ticks. Ixodiphagus hookeri was detected in 86% (24/28) of infested ticks, including 13 I. persulcatus, 9 R (B) microplus, and one H. concinna and D. silvarum. While an unidentified parasitoid wasp species from the subfamily Aphidiinae and Braconidae family was detected in the remaining 14% (4/28) infested ticks. These infested ticks were identified as I. persulcatus. Our findings highlight the need for further studies to clarify the species diversity of parasitoid infesting ticks by combining molecular and morphological features. The novel molecular and MALDI-TOF MS protocols could be effective tools for the surveillance and characterization of these potential bio-control agents of ticks.

Ixodiphagus hookeri (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and Tick-Borne Pathogens in Ticks with Sympatric Occurrence (and Different Activities) in the Slovak Karst National Park (Slovakia), Central Europe

“…The authors compared 28S rRNA isolates from several sites in Hungary with an isolate (MH077537) obtained from Iph. hookeri-positive I. ricinus ticks from western Slovakia [46]. In our study, we found that the 28S rRNA sequences from I. ricinus and H. concinna from the Slovak Karst, which is close to several sampling sites in northern Hungary, where Iph.…”

Unraveling the epidemiological relationship between ticks and rickettsial infection in Africa

“…s (B.) microplus ticks collected in Cote d'Ivoire, west Africa, using molecular based technique (216). The results showed that infestation by parasitoid wasps can occur in adult ticks, with a higher prevalence than previously reported.…”

“…The transmission of Rickettsia could also occur via tick parasitoids or hyperparasitism (a tick feeding on another tick), as validated for other tick-associated bacteria (212-214). Parasitoids of the genus Ixodiphagus (Ix) (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Encyrtidae) are well-known natural enemies of ticks and have been described in many tick species worldwide (215,216). However, the biology and ecology of these parasitoids remain unclear (217).…”

“…Furthermore, recent studies have demonstrated the potential role of Ix. hookeri in the circulation of certain bacteria, including rickettsiae (Rickettsia helvetica and Rickettsia monacensis), in ticks (216). Regrettably, there is a critical lack of data on the presence of parasitoid wasps in ticks in Africa.…”

The Role of Parasitoid Wasps, Ixodiphagus spp. (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), in Tick Control

“…Ixodiphagus spp. have been widely reported in various species of ixodid ticks, with a broad distribution across all five inhabited continents [ 4 , 38 , 39 ], but more commonly reported from Europe and the US [ 3 , 6 , 29 ]. In fact, several hard tick species within the genera Amblyomma , Dermacentor , Haemaphysalis , Hyalomma , Ixodes , and Rhipicephalus , in various life stages, have been found parasitized by Ixodiphagus wasps ( Table 1 ).…”