Amblyomma scutatum Neumann, 1899 (Ixodida: Ixodidae) parasitizing Ctenosaura similis (Gray, 1831) (Squamata: Iguanidae) in Costa Rica

Abstract

A total of 38 ticks were collected on black spiny-tailed iguana, Ctenosaura similis, in a secondary dry forest from northern lowlands of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. At the time of finding, the animal has not mobility of the hind legs and tail. Ticks were identified morphological and molecularly as Amblyomma scutatum. PCR amplification tests to Rickettsia, Anaplasmataceae and Borrelia were negative. Possible caused of the lack of mobility is discussed.

Keywords

• Ctenosaura similis
• Amblyomma scutatum
• lowland dry forest
• Costa Rica

References

1. Alvarez-Calderón, V., Hernández-Fonseca, V. and Hernández-Gamboa, J. 2005. Catálogo de garrapatas suaves (Acari: Argasidae) y duras (Acari: Ixodidae) de Costa Rica. Brenesia, 63 (64): 81-88. [In Spanish]
2. Baeza, CR. 1979. Tick paralysis-Canal Zone, Panama. Morbility and Mortality Weekly Reports, 14: 428-33. doi: 10.2307/23298680
3. Dunn, L. 1918. Studies on the iguana tick, Amblyomma dissimile, in Panama. Journal of Parasitology, 5: 1-10. doi: 10.2307/3271172
4. Gothe, R. and Neitz, A. 1991. Tick paralysis: pathogenesis and etiology, In: Advances in disease vector research, Vol. 8. Harris, K.F. (Ed.). Springer, New York, USA, 177-204.
5. Guglielmone, A.A., Nava, S. and Robbins, R.G. 2021. Neotropical hard ticks (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae). A critical analysis of their taxonomy, distribution, and host relationships. Springer, Switzerland, 486 pp. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-72353-8
6. Guzman-Cornejo, C., Robbins, R.G., Guglielmone, A.A., Montiel-Parra, G. and Pérez, T.M. 2011. The Amblyomma (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae) of Mexico: identification keys, distribution and hosts. Zootaxa, 2998 (1): 16-38. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2998.1.2
7. Hall, T. 1999. BioEdit: a user-friendly biological sequence alignment editor and analysis program for Windows 95/98/NT. Nucleic Acids Symposium Series, 41: 95-98. doi: 10.14601/phytopathol_mediterr-14998u1.29
8. Hanson, B.A., Frank, P.A., Mertins, J. and Corn, J.L. 2007. Tick paralysis of a snake caused by Amblyomma rotundatum (Acari: Ixodidae). Journal of Medical Entomology, 44: 155-157. doi: 10.1093/jmedent/41.5.155

9. Labruna, M.B., Whitworth, T., Horta, M.C., Bouyer, D.H., Mc Bride, J.W., Pinter, A., Popov, V., Gennari, S.M. and Walker, D.H. 2004. Rickettsia species infecting Amblyomma cooperi ticks from an endemic area for Brazilian spotted fever in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 42: 90-98. doi: 10.1128/JCM.42.1.90-98.2004
10. Li, J.S.-Y, Yager, E., Reilly, M., Freeman, C., Reddy, G.R., Reilly, A.A., Chu, F.K. and Winslow, G.M. 2001. Outer membrane protein-specific monoclonal antibodies protect SCID mice from fatal infection by the obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen Ehrlichia chaffeensis. The Journal of Immunology, 166 (3): 1855-1862. doi:10.4049/jimmunol.166.3.1855
11. Mans, B.J., Gothe, R. and Neitz, A.W.H. 2004. Biochemical perspectives on paralysis and other forms of toxicoses caused by ticks. Parasitology, 129: S95-S111. doi: 10.1017/s0031182003004670
12. Norris, D.E., Klompen, J.S.H., Keirans, J.E. and Black IV, W.C. 1996. Population genetics of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) based on mitochondrial 16 S and 12 S genes. Journal of Medical Entomology, 33: 78-89. doi: 10.1093/jmedent/33.1.78
13. Rijpkema, S., Molkenboer, M., Schouls, L., Jongejan, F. and Schellekens, J. 1995. Simultaneous detection and genotyping of three genomic groups of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Dutch Ixodes ricinus ticks by characterization of the amplified intergenic spacer region between 5S and 23S rRNA genes. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 33: 3091-3095. doi: 10.1128/jcm.33.12.3091-3095.1995
14. Romero, L., Costa, F. and Labruna, M. 2021. Ticks and tick-borne Rickettsia in El Salvador. Experimental and Applied Acarology, 83 (4): 545-554. doi:10.1007/s10493-021-00610-w