Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Amblyomma ticks infesting amphibians and Squamata reptiles from the lower Amazon region, Brazil

  • Published:
Experimental and Applied Acarology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Amphibians and Squamata reptiles belonging to a zoological collection were screened for ectoparasites, which were removed from the hosts and identified using morphological keys. Descriptive statistics and analysis of the association between the parasite and host characteristics (taxonomic group, capture location and habitat) were done. Among the 1256 animals examined (319 amphibians and 937 reptiles), 86 individuals were parasitized, corresponding to a frequency of 6.9% (6.6% reptiles and 7.5% amphibians). Ticks in the adult and nymph stages were identified to the species level; all of them belonged to the species Amblyomma dissimile. The larvae were identified to the genus level and were all Amblyomma sp. In total 69 larvae, 28 nymphs and eight adults were found. The most parasitized species was the frog Rhinella major: 24 parasitized animals of 65 examined (36.9%). There was a difference (P < 0.001) between parasitism by ticks of the genus Amblyomma with regard to the habitat of capture of the parasitized animal, with a higher parasitism rate in hosts that inhabited open areas as compared to animals ensconced in forest areas and edges of forests. New tick-host associations are given.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aragão HB (1936) Ixodidas brasileiros e de alguns paizes limitrophes. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 31:759–843

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aragão HB, Fonseca F (1961) Notas de Ixodologia. VIII. Lista e chave para os representantes da fauna ixodológica brasileira. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 59:115–129. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0074-02761961000200001

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barros-Battesti D, Arzua M, Bechara H (2006) Carrapatos de Importância Medico-Veterinaria da Região Neotropical: Um guia ilustrado para identificação de especiés. Vox/ICTTD-3/Butantan

  • Botelho MCN, Mendes Revoredo Mascarenhas Leite L, Pereira Bastos Neto I et al (2002) Amblyomma dissimile Kock, 1844 (Acari, Ixodidae) em mamiferos silvestres no estado de Pernambuco, Brasil. Brazil. Entomol y Vectores 9:71–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Brum JGW, Rickes EM (2003) Amblyomma dissimile koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) em serpente Sucuri (Eunectes murinus) (Reptilia: Boidae) no parque Zoológico do Rio Grande do Sul. Arq Inst Biol 70:215–216

    Google Scholar 

  • Calderón VÁ, Fonseca VH, Gamboa JH (2005) Catálogo de garrapatas suaves (Acari: Argasidae) y duras (Acari: Ixodidae) de Costa Rica. Brenesia 63–64:81–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Carrascal JV, Viedo TS, Monsalve SB, Torres AM (2009) Amblyomma dissimile (Acari: Ixodidae) ARÁSITO DE Boa constrictor EN COLOMBIA. Rev MVZ Córdoba 14:1745–1749. https://doi.org/10.19052/mv.4386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costa HC, Bérnils RS (2014) Répteis brasileiros: Lista de espécies (mudanças taxonômicas). Herpetol Bras 3:74–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Cunha MCAL, Farias AMI, Brito FLC, Serra-Freire NM (2003) Intensidade de parasitismo de Amblyomma rotundatum Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) em serpentes da Família Boidae capturadas no Parque dois Irmãos, Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil. Entomol y Vectores 10:21–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Dantas-Torres F, Oliveira-Filho EF, Soares FAM et al (2008) Ticks infesting amphibians and reptiles in Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil. Rev Bras Parasitol Vet 17:218–221. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1984-29612008000400009

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dantas-Torres F, Castilho Onofrio V, Moraes Barros-Battesti D (2009) The ticks (Acari: Ixodida: Argasidae, Ixodidae) of Brazil. Syst Appl Acarol 14:30–46. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.14.1.4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Durden LA, Klompen JS, Keirans JE (1993) Parasitic arthropods of sympatric possums, cotton rats, and cotton mice from Merritt Island. J Parasitol 79:283–286

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fiorini LC, Craveiro AB, Mendes MC et al (2014) Morphological and molecular identification of ticks infesting Boa constrictor (Squamata, Boidae) in Manaus (Central Brazilian Amazon). Rev Bras Parasitol Veterinária 23:539–542. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1984-29612014084

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer CDB, Mottin VD, Heerdt M et al (2009) Amblyomma dissimile (Acari: Ixodidae) em Hydrodynastes gigas (Squamata: Colubridae) no estado Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil-Nota Prévia. Braz J Vet Res Anim Sci 46:400–403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Floch H, Fauran P (1958) Ixodides de la Guyane et des Antilles fran aises. Arch l’Institut Pasteur la Guyane Fran aise l’Inini 19 (n¡446):94–0

  • Freitas LHT, Faccini JLH, Daemon E et al (2004) Experimental infestation with the immatures of Amblyomma dissimile Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) on Tropidurus torquatus (Lacertilia: Iguanidae) and Oryctolagus cuniculus. Arq Bras Med Vet e Zootec 56:126–129. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-09352004000100021

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gianizella SL, Martins TF, Onofrio VC et al (2018) Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) of the state of Amazonas, Brazil. Exp Appl Acarol 74:177–183. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-018-0221-7

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez Rivas CJ, Castillo GN, Acosta JC et al (2012) Primer reporte de parasitismo de una garrapata blanda del género Ornithodoros (Ixodida: Argasidae) sobre Rhinella arenarum (Anura: Bufonidae) en el departamento de Valle Fértil, San Juan, Argentina. Cuad Herpetol 26:95–97

    Google Scholar 

  • Guglielmone AA, Nava S (2010) Hosts of Amblyomma dissimile Koch, 1844 and Amblyomma rotundatum Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae). Zootaxa 2541:27–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Guglielmone AA, Viñabal AE (1994) Claves morfológicas dicotómicas e información ecológica para la identificación de garrapatas del gênero Amblyomma Koch, 1844 de la Argentina. Rev Inv Agrop 25:39–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Guglielmone AA, Beati L, Barros-Battesti DM et al (2006) Ticks (Ixodidae) on humans in South America. Exp Appl Acarol 40:83–100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-006-9027-0

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guglielmone AA, Robbins RG, Apanaskevich DA et al (2009) Comments on controversial tick (Acari: Ixodida) species names and species described or resurrected from 2003 to 2008. Exp Appl Acarol 48:311–327. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-009-9246-2

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guimarães JH, Tucci EC, Barros-Battesti DM (2001) Ectoparasitos de importância veterinária

  • Jones EK, Clifford CM, Keirans JE, Kohls GM (1972) The ticks of Venezuela (Acarina: Ixodoidea) with a key to the species of Amblyomma in the Western Hemisphere. Brigh Young Univ Sci Bull Biol Ser 17:1–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Labruna MB, Amaku M, Metzner JA et al (2003) Larval behavioral diapause regulates life cycle of Amblyomma cajennense (Acari: Ixodidae) in Southeast Brazil. J Med Entomol 40:170–178. https://doi.org/10.1603/0022-2585-40.2.170

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Luz HR, Faccini JLH (2013) Parasitismo por Carrapatas em Anuros no Brasil. Veterinária e Zootec 20:100–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Luz HR, Silva-Santos E, Costa-Campos CE et al (2018) Detection of Rickettsia spp. in ticks parasitizing toads (Rhinella marina) in the northern Brazilian Amazon. Exp Appl Acarol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-018-0270-y

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Martins TF, Onofrio VC, Barros-Battesti DM, Labruna MB (2010) Nymphs of the genus Amblyomma (Acari: Ixodidae) of Brazil: descriptions, redescriptions, and identification key. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 1:75–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2010.03.002

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oda FH, Kitagawa C, Noronha JDC et al (2018) Amblyomma tick species infesting amphibians and reptiles in the seasonally dry Amazon forest, with new host records for Amblyomma rotundatum (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae). Syst Appl Acarol 23:387. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.23.2.14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Onofrio VC, Labruna MB, Pinter A et al (2006) Comentários e chaves para as espécies do gênero Amblyomma. In: Barros-Battesti DM, Arzua M, Bechara GH (eds) Carrapatos de Importância Médico-veterinária da Região Neotropical: um Guia Ilustrado para Identificação de Espécies. Vox/ICTTD-3/Butantan, pp 53–113

  • Pontes JAL, Gazêta GS, Vrcibradic D, Rocha CFD (2009) Ecology of ticks in a taxocenosis of snakes from the Serra do Mendanha, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with new host records. Zoologia 26:328–333. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1984-46702009000200016

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scofield A, Bahia M, Martins A et al (2011) Amblyomma dissimile Koch (Acari: Ixodidae) attacking Primolius maracana Vieillot (Psittaciformes: Psittacidae) in the Amazon region, state of Pará, Brazil. Neotrop Entomol 40:509–511. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1519-566X2011000400017

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Segalla MV, Caramaschi U, Cruz CAG et al (2016) Brazilian amphibians: list of species. Herpetol Bras 3:34–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Serra-freire NM, Peralta ASL (1993) Primeiro registro do parasitismo de Caiman crocodilus crocodilus por Amblyomma dissimile no Brasil. Rev Bras Parasitol Vet 7:105–108

    Google Scholar 

  • Spolidorio MG, Minervino AHH, Valadas SYOB et al (2013) Serosurvey for tick-borne diseases in dogs from the Eastern Amazon, Brazil. Rev Bras Parasitol Vet 22:214–219

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Teixeira R, Amorim M, Gazeta G, Serra-Freire N (2003) Ixodofauna de répteis cativos no Zoológico de Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brasil. Entomol Vect 10:319–329

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the CNPq for research productivity fellowship granted to Antonio Humberto Hamad Minervino, Solange Maria Gennari and Arlei Marcili. The authors are grateful to Dr. Marcelo Bahia Labruna for his support during this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Rua Vera Paz, s/n, Santarém, PA, 68040-255, Brazil

    Allana Cavalcante Torres, Antonio Humberto Hamad Minervino, Alfredo Pedroso Santos Júnior, Cristiane Sarturi, Adriana Caroprezo Morini, Arlei Marcili & Juliana Machado Portela

  2. Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, São Paulo, SP, 05508-270, Brazil

    Thiago Fernandes Martins, Willian Gomes Vale & Solange Maria Gennari

  3. Universidade de Santo Amaro, Rua Prof. Enéas de Siqueira Neto, 340, Sao Paulo, SP, 04829-300, Brazil

    Arlei Marcili & Solange Maria Gennari

Authors
  1. Allana Cavalcante Torres
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Antonio Humberto Hamad Minervino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alfredo Pedroso Santos Júnior
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Cristiane Sarturi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Thiago Fernandes Martins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Willian Gomes Vale
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Adriana Caroprezo Morini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Arlei Marcili
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Juliana Machado Portela
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Solange Maria Gennari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antonio Humberto Hamad Minervino.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval

This study was approved by the Animal Use Committee from the Federal University of Western Pará (Authorization #01004/2016). Wild animals were collected with the approval from the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Authorization #24072-1).

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary Figure 2 (PNG 3532 kb)

Supplementary Figure 3 (PNG 3084 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Torres, A.C., Minervino, A.H.H., Santos Júnior, A.P. et al. Amblyomma ticks infesting amphibians and Squamata reptiles from the lower Amazon region, Brazil. Exp Appl Acarol 75, 399–407 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-018-0277-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-018-0277-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation