Cryptocroton

Cryptocroton
Female Cryptocroton papuanum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Ixodida
Family:	Ixodidae
Genus:	Cryptocroton Barker et al., 2024 [1]
Species:	C. papuanum
Binomial name
Cryptocroton papuanum (Hirst, 1914)
Synonyms
Amblyomma papuanaHirst, 1914 Amblyomma papuanumRoberts, 1964

Cryptocroton papuanum is a species of tick native to New Guinea, and Northern Queensland. ^[2] Specimens have been found on ground-feeding birds, such as cassowaries and crowned pigeons, as well as on short-beaked echidnas. ^[3] It is the only member of the monotypic genus Cryptocroton.

Morphology and systematics

As its name suggests, the genus is cryptic, as the specimens cannot be distinguished, morphologically, from Amblyomma . Phylogenies inferred from mitochondrial genomes and rRNA have confirmed that the genus has at least 25% pairwise genetic difference from other genera. ^[2]

The species has a rounded body profile, similar to other former Aponomma, and is identifiable by its two small, widely separated coxal spurs and midline trochanter spurs. ^[4] Despite having eyes, the species may be confused for Bothriocroton concolor , an eyeless tick of echidnas present in North Queensland, which shares a similar rounded body profile and punctate male conscutum. Indeed, Cryptocroton papuanum arises from the Haematobothrion lineage, which includes the genera Bothriocroton, Alloceraea, and Haemaphysalis, among others.

References

1. Barker, Stephen C.; Kelava, Samuel; Mans, Ben J.; Apanaskevich, Dmitry A.; Seeman, Owen D.; Gofton, Alexander; Shao, Renfu; Teo, Ernest J. M.; Evasco, Kimberley L.; Soennichsen, Kari F.; Barker, Dayana; Nakao, Ryo (2024-02-12). "The first cryptic genus of Ixodida, Cryptocroton n. gen. for Amblyomma papuanum Hirst, 1914: a tick of North Queensland, Australia, and Papua New Guinea" . Zootaxa. 5410 (1): 91–111. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5410.1.5. ISSN   1175-5334. PMID   38480255.
2. Barker, Stephen C.; Kelava, Samuel; Mans, Ben J.; Apanaskevich, Dmitry A.; Seeman, Owen D.; Gofton, Alexander; Shao, Renfu; Teo, Ernest J. M.; Evasco, Kimberley L.; Soennichsen, Kari F.; Barker, Dayana; Nakao, Ryo (2024-02-12). "The first cryptic genus of Ixodida, Cryptocroton n. gen. for Amblyomma papuanum Hirst, 1914: a tick of North Queensland, Australia, and Papua New Guinea" . Zootaxa. 5410 (1): 91–111. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5410.1.5. ISSN   1175-5334. PMID   38480255.
3. Barker, Stephen C.; Barker, Dayana (2023-03-08). "Ticks of Australasia: 125 species of ticks in and around Australia". Zootaxa. 5253 (1): 1–670. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5253.1.1. ISSN   1175-5334. PMID   37044756.
4. Roberts, Frederick Hugh Sherston (1970). Australian Ticks. Melbourne: CSIRO. ISBN   0643004327.