Eight ticks were found in Comacchio (FE), Italy parasitizing a young black iguana (Ctenosaura similis) that had been accidentally transported in a commercial plant container from Costa Rica. Specimens were identified morphologically as Amblyomma scutatum and then confirmed by the barcoding of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. Amblyomma scutatum is a common tick known to infest reptiles in Central America, Mexico, and Venezuela, but not in Europe. In Italy, the possibility for this tick to become endemic is unlikely because of the absence of its principal hosts. Nevertheless, this finding confirms the high risk of introducing exotic species that is linked with global commerce and therefore the need for veterinary control of shipments.
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16 April 2024
Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Amblyomma scutatum (Acari: Ixodidae) Accidentally Introduced in Italy
Annalisa Grisendi,
Mattia Calzolari,
Francesco Defilippo,
Deborah Torri,
Katia Marzani,
Michele Dottori,
Paolo Bonilauri,
Giulia Maioli
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Journal of Parasitology
Vol. 110 • No. 2
April 2024
Vol. 110 • No. 2
April 2024
Amblyomma scutatum
exotic ticks
Imported reptiles
Italy
morphological identification
sequencing