A NEW AMBLYOMMA SPECIES FROM THE ATLANTIC FOREST OF RIO GRANDE DO SUL, BRAZIL.
Autor(es): FELIPE DA SILVA KRAWCZAK, THIAGO FERNANDES MARTINS, CAROLINE SOBOTYK DE OLIVEIRA, LINA DE CAMPOS BINDER, FRANCISCO BORGES COSTA, PABLO HENRIQUE NUNES, FABIO GREGORI, MARCELO BAHIA LABRUNA
A NEW AMBLYOMMA SPECIES FROM THE ATLANTIC FOREST OF RIO GRANDE DO SUL, BRAZIL.
» Área de pesquisa: ACAROLOGIA
» Instituição: UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO, FACULDADE DE MEDICINA VETERINÁRIA E ZOOTECNIA, VPS
» Agência de fomento e patrocinadores: FAPESP Projeto: 2012/21915-4,CNPq
During 2013-2014, adult ticks were collected on the vegetation and subadult ticks were collected from small mammals in an Atlantic rainforest Reserve in Derrubadas, southern Brazil. Analyses of the external morphology of the adult ticks revealed that they represent the same Amblyomma morphotypes that are morphologically distinct from any other known Amblyomma species, justifying their description as a new species. Partial mitochondrial 16S rRNA sequences generated from males, females, and nymphs were closest (95% identity) to several sequences of Amblyomma dubitatum. This new species is morphologically and genetically closest-related to A. dubitatum. Dorsally, male of these species can be separated by major longitudinal pale orange stripes associated with a pseudoscutum indicated by a pale stripe in the new species, in contrast to pale creamy longitudinal stripes and absence of pseudoscutum in A. dubitatum. Ventrally, male coxal I spurs are separated by a space narrower than external spur width in the new species, and wider than external spur width in A. dubitatum. Females of the two species can be separated by the scutal large and deep punctations evenly distributed in A. dubitatum, concentrated in the lateral fields in the new species. Ventrally, female coxal I spurs are unequivocally longer in new species than in A. dubitatum, when the two species are observed side by side. Finally, it was observed that the adult capitulum and ventral idiosoma of new tick are generally dark brown-colored, while A. dubitatum is yellowish or light brown-colored. A formal description of this new species, currently restricted to southern Brazil, is in progress.
