| Amblyomma triste | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Ixodida |
| Family: | Ixodidae |
| Genus: | Amblyomma |
| Species: | A. triste |
| Binomial name | |
| Amblyomma triste Koch, 1844 | |
Amblyomma triste is a tick in the Amblyomma genus. The tick can be found in Venezuela, Argentina, Brasil, Colombia, Peru and Uruguay. [1] [2] Though not thought to be endemic to North America, a 2010 study found 27 specimens in 18 separate collections that had previously been misidentified in the United States. [3]
The species has been found to carry the human-infectious Rickettsia parkeri which produces symptoms similar to Rocky Mountain spotted fever. [4] The tick is the only tick responsible for tick-borne disease in humans in Uruguay, [4] and has been identified as a significant vector of disease in Argentina and Brazil. [3]
The tick was first described by Koch in 1844. [1] The tick is morphologically similar to Amblyomma maculatum and Amblyomma tigrinum , both of which are also carriers of Rickettsia parkeri. [5] Identification of the species in North America is often complicated due to the fact that they are cryptic species with those two species. [3]