Soft ticks (Argasidae) of the subgenus Pavlovskyella Pospelova-Shtrom are worldwide distributed parasites of medical importance. However, the systematics of the subgenus are currently under debate because genetic data shows that the group is paraphyletic. Meanwhile, species of Pavlovskyella continue to be discovered. In this study a novel species of the subgenus is described from specimens collected on a fox in central Chile. The larva of this new species differentiates from other Pavlovskyella spp. by having the following combination of characters: subpyriform dorsal plate; 15 pairs of setae, 7 anterolateral, 3 central, and 5 posterolateral, and hypostome with denticles in the distal third. Nymphs and adults of the species lack cheeks, eyes or bulging structures on the flank, but exhibit dorsoventral grooves, and humps on tarsi I, II, and III. Moreover, a patch of glabrous integument appears on the distal portion of coxal folds. A phylogenetic analysis using the mitogenome indicates a monophyletic group composed by Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) brasiliensis Aragão, Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) furcosus Neumann, Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) improvisus Muñoz-Leal & Venzal, and Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) rostratus Aragão. Interestingly, a phylogeny using 18S–28S rDNA sequences shows that South American Pavlovskyella spp. are paraphyletic, as depicted in previous studies. Adding species of the subgenus from the Neotropical region to phylogenetic analyses could aid to solve this paraphyly. Furthermore, this is the fifth species of Pavlovskyella described in South America, and the second in Chile.
How to translate text using browser tools
4 November 2024
Identification and characterization of a novel Pavlovskyella (Acari: Argasidae) from Chile, parasite of the culpeo fox (Lycalopex culpaeus)
Sebastián Muñoz-Leal,
Alexander R. Kneubehl,
Karen Ardiles,
Catalina Parragué-Migone,
Ignacio Troncoso-Toro,
Pablo Oyarzún-Ruiz,
Job E. Lopez
ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE
It is not available for individual sale.
This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
It is not available for individual sale.

Journal of Medical Entomology
Vol. 62 • No. 1
January 2025
Vol. 62 • No. 1
January 2025
Argasidae
mitogenome
new species
phylogeny
soft tick