Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Redescription and molecular characterization of the tick Argas japonicus Yamaguti, Clifford & Tipton, 1968 (Ixodida: Argasidae)

  • Arthropods and Medical Entomology - Original Paper
  • Published:
Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Species of the genus Argas are parasites that transmit pathogens, eubacteria, and viruses. Argas japonicus Yamaguti, Clifford & Tipton, 1968 was described based on specimens collected from Japan and Korea. Recently, A. japonicus was reported in different areas of China, suggesting that it may be widely distributed. Here, we have redescribed the female, male, and nymphal stages of A. japonicus and provided scanning electron microscope images based on specimens collected in Neimenggu, China. In addition, we compared four A. japonicus individuals with Argas 16S rDNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 sequences obtained from GenBank.

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

Access this article

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Burger TD, Shao R, Labruna MB, Barker SC (2014) Molecular phylogeny of soft ticks (Ixodida: Argasidae) inferred from mitochondrial genome and nuclear rRNA sequences. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 5:195–207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carmen G, Luis G, Andrea R, Venzal JM, Nava S, Sánchez-Montes S (2017) Molecular evidence and additional morphological characters to distinguish Ornithodoros brodyi and Ornithodoros yumatensis (Ixodida: Argasidae) in their different developmental stages. Acta Parasitol 62:432–448. https://doi.org/10.1515/ap-2017-0051

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clifford CM, Kohls GM, Sonenshine DE (1964) The systematics of the subfamily Ornithodorinae (Acarina: Argasidae). I. the genera and subgenera. Ann Entomol Soc Am 57:429–437

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deng GF (1983) Note on Chinese ticks of the subgenus Argas. Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 8:255–261

  • Guglielmone AA, Robbins RG, Apanaskevich DA, Petney TN, Estrada-Peña A, Horak IG, Shao R, Barker SC (2010) The Argasidae, Ixodidae and Nuttalliellidae (Acari: Ixodida) of the world: a list of valid species names. Zootaxa 2528:1–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kelava S, Mans BJ, Shao R, Moustafa MAM, Matsuno K, Takano A, Kawabata H, Sato K, Fujita H, Chen Z, Plantard O, Hornok S, Gao S, Barker D, Barker SC, Nakao R (2021) Phylogenies from mitochondrial genomes of 120 species of ticks: insights into the evolution of the families of ticks and of the genus Amblyomma. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 12:101577

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Labruna MB, Nava S, Marcili A, Barbieri ARM, Nunes PH, Horta MC, Venzal JM (2016) A new argasid tick species (Acari: Argasidae) associated with the rock cavy, Kerodon rupestris Wied-Neuwied (Rodentia: Caviidae), in a semiarid region of Brazil. Parasite Vector 9:511–525. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-016-1796-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li WX, Du XJ, Zhong D (1986) Investigation on human dermatitis caused by Argas japonicus bedroom. Chin J Parasitol Parasit Dis 4:77

    Google Scholar 

  • Mans BJ, Featherston J, Kvas M, Pillay KA, de Klerk DG, Pienaar R, de Castro MH, Schwan TG, Lopez JE, Teel P, Pérez de León AA, Sonenshine DE, Egekwu NI, Bakkes DK, Heyne H, Kanduma EG, Nyangiwe N, Bouattour A, Latif AA (2019) Argasid and ixodid systematics: implications for softtick evolution and systematics, with a new argasid species list. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 10:219–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.09.010

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mans BJ, Kelava S, Pienaar R, Featherston J, de Castro MH, Quetglas J, Reeves WK, Durden LA, Miller MM, Laverty TM, Shao R, Takano A, Kawabata H, Moustafa MAM, Nakao R, Matsuno K, Greay TL, Evasco KL, Barker D, Barker SC (2021) Ticks Tick Borne Dis 12:101688

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muñoz-Leal S, Venzalb JM, González-Acuñac D, Nava S, Lopesa MG, Martins TF, Figueroa C, Fernández N, Labruna MB (2016) A new species of Ornithodoros (Acari: Argasidae) from desert areas of northern Chile. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 7:901–910. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.04.008

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Muñoz-Leal S, Venzal JM, Nava S, Reyes M, Martins TF, Leite RC, Vilela VLR, Benatti HR, Ríos-Rosas D, Barros-Battesti DM, González-Acuña D, Labruna MB (2017) The geographic distribution of Argas (Persicargas) miniatus and Argas (Persicargas) persicus (Acari: Argasidae) in America, with morphological and molecular diagnoses from Brazil, Chile and Cuba. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 9:44–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.10.009

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tinghuan W, Ze Ch (2016) the world list of ticks. 1. Argasidae and Nuttallielidae (Acari: Ixodida). Chin J Parasitol Parasit Dis 34:58–74

  • Wen TH, Chen Z (2016) The world list of ticks. 1. Argasidae and Nuttallielidae (Acari: Ixodida). Chin J Parasitol Parasit Dis 34:58–74

  • Yamaguti N, Clifford CM, Tipton VJ (1968) Argas (Argas) japonicus, new species, associated with swallows in Japan and Korea. (Ixodoidea Argasidae). J Med Entomol 5:453–459

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao L, Lin XM, Li F, Li KR, He B, Zhang LY, Pan JJ, Wang QR, Gao JM, Johnson N, Yuan XF, Lv JZH, Wu SHQ, Liu YH (2018) A survey of argasid ticks and tick-associated pathogens in the Peripheral Oases around Tarim Basin and the first record of Argas japonicus in Xinjiang, China. PLoS ONE 13(12):1–13

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Dr. Yu and other undergraduate students for collecting the specimens.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jingze Liu or Rong Bao.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Handling Editor: Una Ryan

Publisher's note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hu, X., Liu, J. & Bao, R. Redescription and molecular characterization of the tick Argas japonicus Yamaguti, Clifford & Tipton, 1968 (Ixodida: Argasidae). Parasitol Res 120, 3645–3651 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-021-07320-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-021-07320-7

Keywords

Navigation