Archaeocroton

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Tuatara tick
Tuatara tick3.jpg
Amblyomma sphenodonti on a tuatara
Status NZTCS REL.svg
Relict (NZ TCS) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Ixodida
Family: Ixodidae
Genus: Archaeocroton
Dumbleton, 1943
Species:
A. sphenodonti
Binomial name
Archaeocroton sphenodonti
(Dumbleton, 1943) [2]
Synonyms
  • Aponomma sphenodontiDumbleton, 1943
  • Amblyomma sphenodonti

Archaeocroton sphenodonti, or the tuatara tick, is a species of tick that parasitises only the tuatara of New Zealand. It is found on just four of the twelve island groups where tuatara survive, preferring islands where the reptiles live in high densities. Larvae, nymphs, and adults all feed exclusively on tuatara blood, and ticks can survive for up to a year without a host. When tuatara are translocated, the tick has been lost or survives only in low densities in the new population.

Contents

Description

Adult tuatara ticks are nearly circular, light brown and 2 millimetres (0.079 in) long. [3] They were first described by Lionel Jack Dumbleton in 1943. [4] The holotype male specimen was collected from Stephens Island by E. J. Tillyard in January 1922 and later deposited in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.

Taxonomy

Originally, this species was placed in the genus Aponomma, as members of this genus mostly parasitise reptiles. More primitive Aponomma were placed into the genus Amblyomma in 2002. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that this tick is not closely related to other ticks in the genus Amblyomma, being more closely related to genus Bothriocroton and it should to be placed in its own genus, Archaeocroton. [5] [6] [7] [8]

Distribution

Like its host, this species has populations living on islands off the coast of the North Island and South Island of New Zealand. However, its distribution is confined to only four of the twelve island groups: the Mercury and Aldermen Islands off the coast of the North Island, and Stephens Island and the Trios in Cook Strait. Islands with a high density of tuatara, with increased association between hosts, are more likely to have ticks present, as the parasite has limited mobility and would find it difficult to disperse where tuatara densities are lower or fluctuate. [7]

Life cycle

The tick has a three-stage life cycle, with all stages parasitising the tuatara. Females that have fed on the host's blood detach from the tuatara and lay eggs. This occurs in the tuatara's burrow. When the eggs hatch, the larvae attach to a tuatara, feed and detach. After moulting, the resulting nymph also attaches and repeats the cycle of feeding, detaching and moulting to become an adult tick. [9] This life cycle may take 2–3 years. Increased temperatures may cause an increase in copulation on adult ticks and faster development rates of all life cycle stages. [10]

Ecology

Tuatara ticks on the body of their host, Sphenodon punctatus Tuatara tick close.jpg
Tuatara ticks on the body of their host, Sphenodon punctatus

Tuatara are reptiles that use burrows for shelter. Their ticks can spend over one year off their host and prefer the moist and dark habitats provided by these burrows. Their preference for humid and dark conditions may be an adaptive feature for remaining inside or finding burrows where the host resides. If copulation takes place off the host, ticks may use pheromones to locate a mate. Tuatara live in a variety of habitats and are parasitised by ticks in all of them. The density of ticks on tuatara are higher when the host lives in pasture than in canopy forest. Tuatara ticks mirror the nocturnal activity of tuatara. They are more mobile at night, which could increase the chance of unattached ticks finding a host. It could also reduce the likelihood of desiccation due to the increased humidity at night. [11] They prefer attaching in positions on the back of the host, folds in the skin of the rear legs and the side of the body. [9] Once attached, they feed on the host's blood. [11] Unfed adult ticks have been observed to survive for over one year without their host. [6]

Conservation

This species is less widespread than its host. When translocation of tuatara has occurred, tick densities are lower or absent in the new population. Some tuatara have had the parasite removed before translocation and other populations of tuatara have lost the parasite afterwards. [12] Its conservation status is relict, [13] as – like its host – it once occupied a wider distribution. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuatara</span> Genus of reptiles

Tuatara are reptiles endemic to New Zealand. Despite their close resemblance to lizards, they are part of a distinct lineage, the order Rhynchocephalia. The name tuatara is derived from the Māori language and means "peaks on the back".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tick</span> Order of arachnids in the arthropod phylum

Ticks are parasitic arachnids that are part of the mite superorder Parasitiformes. Adult ticks are approximately 3 to 5 mm in length depending on age, sex, species, and "fullness". Ticks are external parasites, living by feeding on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians. The timing of the origin of ticks is uncertain, though the oldest known tick fossils are from the Cretaceous period, around 100 million years old. Ticks are widely distributed around the world, especially in warm, humid climates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ixodidae</span> Family of ticks

The Ixodidae are the family of hard ticks or scale ticks, one of the three families of ticks, consisting of over 700 species. They are known as 'hard ticks' because they have a scutum or hard shield, which the other major family of ticks, the 'soft ticks' (Argasidae), lack. They are ectoparasites of a wide range of host species, and some are vectors of pathogens that can cause human disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lepidosauria</span> Superorder of reptiles

The Lepidosauria is a subclass or superorder of reptiles, containing the orders Squamata and Rhynchocephalia. Squamata includes snakes, lizards, and amphisbaenians. Squamata contains over 9,000 species, making it by far the most species-rich and diverse order of non-avian reptiles in the present day. Rhynchocephalia was a formerly widespread and diverse group of reptiles in the Mesozoic Era. However, it is represented by only one living species: the tuatara, a superficially lizard-like reptile native to New Zealand.

<i>Dermacentor variabilis</i> Species of tick

Dermacentor variabilis, also known as the American dog tick or wood tick, is a species of tick that is known to carry bacteria responsible for several diseases in humans, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. It is one of the best-known hard ticks. Diseases are spread when it sucks blood from the host. It may take several days for the host to experience symptoms.

<i>Ixodes</i> Genus of ticks

Ixodes is a genus of hard-bodied ticks. It includes important disease vectors of animals and humans, and some species inject toxins that can cause paralysis. Some ticks in this genus may transmit the pathogenic bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi responsible for causing Lyme disease. Additional organisms that may be transmitted by Ixodes are parasites from the genus Babesia, which cause babesiosis, and bacteria from the related genus Anaplasma, which cause anaplasmosis.

<i>Amblyomma americanum</i> Species of tick

Amblyomma americanum, also known as the lone star tick, the northeastern water tick, or the turkey tick, is a type of tick indigenous to much of the eastern United States and Mexico, that bites painlessly and commonly goes unnoticed, remaining attached to its host for as long as seven days until it is fully engorged with blood. It is a member of the phylum Arthropoda, class Arachnida. The adult lone star tick is sexually dimorphic, named for a silvery-white, star-shaped spot or "lone star" present near the center of the posterior portion of the adult female shield (scutum); adult males conversely have varied white streaks or spots around the margins of their shields.

<i>Rhipicephalus</i> Genus of ticks

Rhipicephalus is a genus of ticks in the family Ixodidae, the hard ticks, consisting of about 74 or 75 species. Most are native to tropical Africa.

<i>Ixodes pacificus</i> Species of arachnid

Ixodes pacificus, the western black-legged tick, is a species of parasitic tick found on the western coast of North America. I. pacificus is a member of the family Ixodidae. It is the principal vector of Lyme disease in that region. I. pacificus typically feeds on lizards and small mammals therefore its rate of transmission of Lyme disease to humans is around 1% of adults. It is an ectoparasite that attaches itself to the outside of its host and feeds on the host's blood. It can have a heteroxenous lifestyle or monoxenous life cycle depending on how many hosts it feeds on in each cycle. I. pacificus has a four stage life cycle that takes around 3 years to complete. These stages include egg, larva, nymph, and adult. They prefer dense woodland habitats or areas of brush and tall grass.

<i>Amblyomma cajennense</i> Species of tick

Amblyomma cajennense or Cayenne tick is a species of tick found in a range from the southern part of the United States to northern Argentina, through Central America and some of the Caribbean. As a consequence, the species has adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions. There are also major geographic barriers such as large rivers and the Andes mountain range.

<i>Amblyomma maculatum</i> Species of tick

Amblyomma maculatum is a species of tick in the genus Amblyomma. Immatures usually infest small mammals and birds that dwell on the ground; cotton rats may be particularly favored hosts. Some recorded hosts include:

<i>Amblyomma triguttatum</i> Species of tick

Amblyomma triguttatum, commonly known as the kangaroo tick, is a species of tick in the genus Amblyomma native to Australia, in Western Australia, parts of Queensland, and in New South Wales.

Amblyomma tonelliae is a species of tick of the genus Amblyomma. The species is associated with dry areas of the Chaco region, spanning central-northern Argentina to Bolivia and Paraguay. Rickettsia species can habitate A. tonelliae endosymbiotically.

The Asian tortoise tick, is a hard-bodied tick of the genus Amblyomma. The tick is a parasite of tortoises, such as Geochelone elegans, domestic dogs, buffaloes. It is found in India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Adult tick is about 3 cm in length.

Amblyomma gervaisi is a hard-bodied tick of the genus Amblyomma. The tick is a parasite of snakes, such as Naja naja, Python molurus species and monitor species such as Varanus ocellatus, Varanus yemenensis, Varanus benghalensis, Varanus griseus and many other Varanus species in southeastern Asia and Asia-minor. They exhibit sexual dimorphism. They can be found in Sri Lanka, India, Yemen, Saudi Arabia. It is a potential vector for Coxiella burnetii.

<i>Amblyomma rhinocerotis</i> Species of tick

Amblyomma rhinocerotis is a species of tick belonging to the family Ixodidae. This species occurs in Africa. It is a primarily rhino parasite.

<i>Cosmiomma</i> Genus of ticks

Cosmiomma is a genus of ticks first discovered by Paul Schulze in 1919. It is monospecific, being represented by the single species Cosmiomma hippopotamensis. It was first described in 1843 by Henry Denny from specimens collected from a hippopotamus in Southern Africa, and has been called "one of the most unusual, beautiful, and rare tick species known to the world."

Maria Tonelli-Rondelli was an Italian entomologist who studied the taxonomy and identification of ticks (Ixodidae), especially South American species.

Ixodes anatis, also called the kiwi tick, is a species of tick in the arthropod family Ixodidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and mainly parasitizes kiwi.

References

  1. ↑ "Archaeocroton sphenodonti. NZTCS". nztcs.org.nz. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  2. ↑ "NZOR". New Zealand Organisms Register. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  3. ↑ "Amblyomma (Aponomma) sphenodonti" . Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  4. ↑ Dumbleton, L.J. (1943). "A new tick from the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)". New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology. 24 (4): 185B–190B. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  5. ↑ Heath, Allen; Rolfe, Jeremy; Michel, Pascale. "Conservation status of parasitic mites and ticks (Acari) in New Zealand, 2021. NZTCS". nztcs.org.nz. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 37. Department of Conservation, Wellington. 23 p. Retrieved 3 April 2023. PDF
  6. 1 2 "New Zealand BioSecure" (PDF). Southern Monitoring Services Limited. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  7. 1 2 Miller, Hilary C.; Conrad, Ailis M.; Barker, Stephen C.; Daugherty, Charles H. (January 2007). "Distribution and phylogenetic analyses of an endangered tick, Amblyomma sphenodonti". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 34 (2): 97–105. doi: 10.1080/03014220709510068 .
  8. ↑ Burger, Thomas D.; Shao, Renfu; Barker, Stephen C. (June 2013). "Phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial genomes and nuclear rRNA genes of ticks reveals a deep phylogenetic structure within the genus Haemaphysalis and further elucidates the polyphyly of the genus Amblyomma with respect to Amblyomma sphenodonti and Amblyomma elaphense". Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases. 4 (4): 265–274. doi:10.1016/j.ttbdis.2013.02.002. PMID   23602360.
  9. 1 2 Heath, A.C.G. (2006). "A reptile tick, Aponomma sphenodonti Dumbleton (Acari: Ixodidae), parasitic on the tuatara, Sphenodon punctatus Gray (Reptilia: Rhyncocephalia), in New Zealand: observations on its life history and biology". Systematic and Applied Acarology. 11: 3–12. doi:10.11158/saa.11.1.1. S2CID   88425035.
  10. ↑ Godfrey, S. S.; Bull, C. M.; Nelson, N. J. (2008). "Seasonal and spatial dynamics of ectoparasite infestation of a threatened reptile, the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)". Medical and Veterinary Entomology. 22 (4): 374–385. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2915.2008.00751.x. PMID   19120965. S2CID   20718129.
  11. 1 2 Godfrey, Stephanie S.; Nelson, Nicola J.; Bull, C. Michael (2011). "Microhabitat choice and host-seeking behaviour of the tuatara tick, Amblyomma sphenodonti (Acari: Ixodidae)" (PDF). New Zealand Journal of Ecology. 35 (1): 52–60. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  12. ↑ Pawson, Steve (Mar–Apr 2008). "Nervous Tick". New Zealand Geographic. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  13. ↑ Buckley, T. R.; Palma, R. L.; Johns, P. M.; Gleeson, D. M.; Heath, A. C.G.; Hitchmough, R. A.; Stringer, I. A.N. (2012). "The conservation status of small or less well known groups of New Zealand terrestrial invertebrates". New Zealand Entomologist. 35 (2): 137–143. doi:10.1080/00779962.2012.686319. S2CID   55135775.
  14. ↑ Townsend, Andrew J.; de Lange, Peter J.; Duffy, Clinton A.J.; Miskelly, Colin M.; Molloy, Janice; Norton, David A. "New Zealand Threat Classification System manual" (PDF). Department of Conservation. Retrieved 4 July 2018.


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