The Neotropical tick fauna includes approximately 200 species belonging to the families Argasidae and Ixodidae. Of the 32 species reported from Cuba, 23 are argasids and nine belong to four ixodid genera (Ixodes, Amblyomma, Dermacentor, and Rhipicephalus). Ixodes capromydis, a Cuban endemic species, is the only prostriate tick, whereas Metastriata are represented by five Amblyomma (A. albopictum, A. cajennense, A. dissimile, A. quadricavum, and A. torrei), one Dermacentor (D. nitens), and two Rhipicephalus species (R. sanguineus and R. (Boophilus) microplus). Herein, we illustrate diagnostic characters and provide a taxonomic key for the Cuban adult Ixodidae based on optical and scanning electron microscopy. For each species, we provide information about the material we examined, geographical distribution, and host association.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 October 2009
The ixodid ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) of Cuba
Darci Moraes Barros-Battesti,
Mercedes Reyes Hernández,
Kátia Maria Famadas,
Valeria C. Onofrio,
Lorenza Beati,
Alberto A. Guglielmone
ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE
