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Seabird ticks (Ixodes uriae) distribution along the Antarctic Peninsula

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Abstract

The distribution of the tick Ixodes uriae is studied in the South Shetlands and different locations along the Antarctic Peninsula. Ticks were found beneath stones close to penguin rookeries of chinstrap, gentoo and adelie penguin, although no individuals were found parasitized. Our results showed that ticks are not distributed evenly along the Antarctic Peninsula being more common and abundant in the northern part with relative abundances of ticks ranging from 1 to 57 individuals per stone and from 2 to 26% of the stone inspected. Ticks are probably absent in the south.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation projects CGL2004-01348, POL2006-05175, POL2006-06635, CGL2007-60369 and by the European Regional Development Fund. MJP was supported by a PhD grant from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (BES2005-8465). VV was supported by a PhD grant from the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (JAEPre08-01053). We thank the Spanish Antarctic base “Gabriel de Castilla”, the Argentinean Antarctic base “Teniente Jubany”, the Spanish polar ship “Las Palmas” and the Maritime Logistic Unit (CSIC) for logistic support and transport. Permission to work in the study area was given by the Spanish Polar Committee. This is a contribution to the International Polar Year project 172 BIRDHEALTH and to PINGUCLIM project. We thank an anonymous referee for helpful suggestions on an early version of this manuscript.

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Author notes

  1. José Javier Cuervo

    Present address: Department of Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain

    Andrés Barbosa

  2. Department of Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, CSIC, Carretera de Sacramento s/n, 04120, La Cañada de San Urbano, Almeria, Spain

    Jesús Benzal, María José Palacios & José Javier Cuervo

  3. Department of Parasitología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain

    Virginia Vidal, Juana Ortiz & Lidia Chitimia

  4. Centro Nacional Patagónico, CONICET, Boulevard Brown 2825 U9120 ACF, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

    Verónica D’Amico

  5. Department Aves Marinas, Instituto Antártico Argentino, Cerrito 1248 (C1010AAZ), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Nestor Coria

  6. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Calle 2 584, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Julia Diaz

  7. Department of Toxicología. Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, Campus Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain

    Miguel Motas

  8. Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health, Street Dr. Staicovici, 63, Sector 5, 050557, Bucharest, Romania

    Lidia Chitimia

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  1. Andrés Barbosa
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  2. Jesús Benzal
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  3. Virginia Vidal
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  4. Verónica D’Amico
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  7. Miguel Motas
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  8. María José Palacios
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  9. José Javier Cuervo
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  10. Juana Ortiz
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  11. Lidia Chitimia
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Correspondence to Andrés Barbosa.

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Barbosa, A., Benzal, J., Vidal, V. et al. Seabird ticks (Ixodes uriae) distribution along the Antarctic Peninsula. Polar Biol 34, 1621–1624 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-011-1000-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-011-1000-7

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