The Argasidae, Ixodidae and Nuttalliellidae (Acari: Ixodida): a world list of valid tick names

Comments on controversial tick (Acari: Ixodida) species names and species described or resurrected from 2003 to 2008

“…Here we discuss all the controversial tick names that have come to our attention, correct a number of common spelling errors, and provide a list of species described or resurrected during the years 2003-2008. There are several competing phylogenies of the Argasidae and the Ixodidae. Thus, Filippova (1966), Pospelova-Shtrom (1969), Hoogstraal (1985), Klompen and Oliver (1993), and Camicas et al (1998) offer different arrangements of the genera and subgenera of the Argasidae, while Hoogstraal and Aeschlimann (1982), Black and Piesman (1994), Filippova (1994), Camicas et al (1998), Barker and Murrell (2002) and Horak et al (2002), among others, present classifications of the Ixodidae with varying degrees of congruence. The and has probably been lost, making comparison with other species impossible.…”

“…Over the last decade, there have been three attempts to construct complete lists of the world's tick species (Acari: Ixodida: Argasidae, Ixodidae and Nuttalliellidae): Camicas et al (1998), Horak et al (2002), and Barker and Murrell (2004). Recently, Nava et al (2009) joined this endeavor, compiling a list of 879 species (186 in the Argasidae, 692 in the Ixodidae, and 1 in the Nuttalliellidae), commenting on what they consider mistakes in the list of Barker and Murrell (2004), and adding or deleting names based on the argasid list of Keirans (1992) and the ixodid list of Horak et al (2002).…”

“…Recently, Nava et al (2009) joined this endeavor, compiling a list of 879 species (186 in the Argasidae, 692 in the Ixodidae, and 1 in the Nuttalliellidae), commenting on what they consider mistakes in the list of Barker and Murrell (2004), and adding or deleting names based on the argasid list of Keirans (1992) and the ixodid list of Horak et al (2002). As stated in its preface, the list of Horak et al (2002) amounts to an exercise in consensus, involving some of the very scientists responsible for previous lists. The compilation by Barker and Murrell (2004) ostensibly sought to capture names that had been overlooked in the works of Keirans (1992), Camicas et al (1998), Keirans and Robbins (1999), and Horak et al (2002).…”

“…As stated in its preface, the list of Horak et al (2002) amounts to an exercise in consensus, involving some of the very scientists responsible for previous lists. The compilation by Barker and Murrell (2004) ostensibly sought to capture names that had been overlooked in the works of Keirans (1992), Camicas et al (1998), Keirans and Robbins (1999), and Horak et al (2002). However, Barker and Murrell (2004) also missed several names (e.g., Argas delicatus Neumann, 1910, Amblyomma concolor Neumann, 1899 and Ixodes robertsi Camicas, Hervy, Adam and Morel, 1998) that appear exclusively in Camicas et al 1998.…”

“…We conclude that A. acutangulatum is not a valid species. Keirans and Garris, 1986 is not included in Camicas et al (1998) or Horak et al (2002) but is listed in Barker and Murrell (2004). Amblyomma arianae is a junior synonym of Amblyomma quadricavum (Schulze, 1941), as discussed in Keirans and Klompen (1996).…”