Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2017-09-26
Page range: 285–314
Abstract views: 141
PDF downloaded: 8

A new species of tick (Acari: Ixodidae) from seabirds in New Zealand and Australia, previously misidentified as Ixodes eudyptidis

AgResearch Ltd, Hopkirk Research Institute, Massey University, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, P.O. Box 467, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
Acari Ixodes laridis sibling species identification keys zoogeography seabirds taxonomy

Abstract

The tick Ixodes eudyptidis Maskell, 1885 has long been recognised as a parasite of penguins and a number of other seabird hosts and, despite a convoluted taxonomic history, there has been no disagreement as to its validity. The opportunity to examine a larger series of ticks from a wider range of hosts than previously available has led to the finding of a morphologically close and hitherto undescribed species, which is herewith described and named as Ixodes laridis sp.nov. The new species has a superficial similarity to its sibling, I. eudyptidis, but on close examination it displays a number of morphological differences that justify its taxonomic separation. Also, the hosts of the new species are principally gulls, gannets and cormorants, while I. eudyptidis is restricted to penguins. The recognition of this new species has implications for faunal lists in both New Zealand and Australia, as well for seabird health, as it appears that I. eudyptidis does not cause paresis as originally thought, but it is I. laridis that causes potentially fatal paralysis in its hosts.

        A taxonomic history and review of I. eudyptidis and keys to all stages of the species of Ixodes recorded from New Zealand, and from Australian seabirds are given. Reference to Ixodes kohlsi Arthur, 1955, a species currently restricted to Australia, is made for comparative purposes because of the similarity of both its morphology and host associations with the other species under consideration. Aspects of the distribution, zoogeography, hosts and ecology of all three species of ticks are discussed.

 

References

  1. Arthur, D.R. (1955) Ixodes kohlsi, a new species of tick from Australia. The Journal of Parasitology, 41 (1), 18–23.
    https://doi.org/10.2307/3273992

    Arthur, D.R. (1956) The morphology of the British prostriata with particular reference to Ixodes hexagonus Leach. III. Parasitology, 46 (3–4), 261–307.
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182000026512

    Banks, N. (1894) Some new American Acarina. Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 21, 209–222.

    Bishop, D.M. & Heath, A.C.G. (1998) Checklist of ectoparasites of birds in New Zealand. Surveillance, 25, 13–31.

    Campana-Rouget, Y. (1959) La tératologie des tiques (1). Annales de Parasitologie Humaine et Comparée, 34, 209–260.

    Checklist Committee (O.S.N.Z.) Gill, B.J. (Convener), Bell, B.D., Chambers, G.K., Medway, D.G., Palma, R.L., Scofield, R.P., Tennyson, A.J.D. & Worthy, T.H. (2010) Checklist of the birds of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. 4th Edition. Ornithological Society of New Zealand & Te Papa Press, Wellington, x + 501 pp.

    Chilton, C. (1904) A species of Ixodes parasitic on the grey duck. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, 36, 201–202, pl. X.

    Clifford, C.M. & Anastos, G. (1960) The use of chaetotaxy in the identification of larval ticks (Acarina: Ixodidae). The Journal of Parasitology, 46, 567–578.
    https://doi.org/10.2307/3274939

    Clifford, C.M., Sonenshine, D.E., Keirans, J.E. & Kohls, G.M. (1973) Systematics of the subfamily Ixodinae (Acari: Ixodidae). 1. The subgenera of Ixodes. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 66, 489–500.
    https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/66.3.489

    Cooley, R.A. & Kohls, G.M. (1945) The genus Ixodes in North America. National Institute of Health Bulletin, 184, 1–246.

    Dumbleton, L.J. (1953) The ticks (Ixodoidea) of the New Zealand sub-region. New Zealand Cape Expedition Series, Bulletin 14, 1–28, 4 pls.

    Dumbleton, L.J. (1961) The ticks (Acarina: Ixodoidea) of sea birds in New Zealand waters. New Zealand Journal of Science, 4 (4), 760–769.

    Dumbleton, L.J. (1963) A synopsis of the ticks (Acarina: Ixodoidea) of New Zealand. Tuatara, 11 (2), 72–78.

    Dumbleton, L.J. (1973) Additions to the New Zealand tick fauna. Tuatara, 20 (2), 65–74.

    Ferguson, E.W. (1925) Australian ticks. Australian Zoologist, 4, 24–35.

    Fielding, J.W. (1926) Australasian ticks. Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Health Services Publication (Tropical Division), 9, 1–114.

    Gray, J.S., Estrada-Peña, A. & Vial, L. (2014) Ecology of nidicolous ticks. In: Sonenshine, D.E. & Roe, R.M. (Eds.), Biology of ticks. Vol. 2. 2nd Edition. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 39–60.

    Green, R.H. & Macdonald, D. (1963) The Black Pyramid gannetry. The Emu, 63 (3), 177–184.
    https://doi.org/10.1071/MU963177

    Grosser, S., Burridge, C.P., Peucker, A.J. & Waters, J.M. (2015) Coalescent modelling suggests recent secondary-contact of cryptic penguin species. PLoS ONE, 10 (12), 1–17.
    https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0144966

    Guglielmone, A.A., Robbins, R.G., Apanaskevich, D.A., Petney, T.N., Estrada-Peña, A. & Horak, I.G. (2014) Hard ticks of the world (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae). Springer Science+Business Media, Dordrecht, xiii + 738 pp.

    Hawkins, J.M. (1988) The Farewell Spit gannetry—a new sea level colony. Notornis, 35, 249–260.

    Heath, A.C.G. (1977) The zoogeography of the New Zealand tick fauna. Tuatara, 23, 26–38.

    Heath, A.C.G. (1987) A review of the origins and zoogeography of tick-borne disease in New Zealand. Tuatara, 29, 19–29.

    Heath, A.C.G. (2006) Observations on Ixodes eudyptidis Maskell (Acari: Ixodidae), Ornithodoros capensis Neumann (Acari: Argasidae) and other tick parasites of sea birds in New Zealand. Systematic and Applied Acarology, 11, 131–140.
    https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.11.2.1

    Heath, A.C.G. (2010) Checklist of ectoparasites of birds in New Zealand: additions and corrections. Surveillance, 37, 12–17.

    Heath, A.C.G. & Cane, R.P. (2010) A new species of Ixodiphagus (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Encyrtidae) parasitizing seabird ticks in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 37 (2), 147–155.
    https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2010.482973

    Heath, A.C.G., Palma, R.L., Cane, R.P. & Hardwick, S. (2011) Checklist of New Zealand ticks (Acari: Ixodidae, Argasidae). Zootaxa, 2995, 55–63.

    Heather, B.D. & Robertson, H.A. (2005) The field guide to the birds of New Zealand. Penguin Books, Auckland, 440 pp.

    Heber, S., Wilson, K.-J. & Molles, L. (2008) Breeding biology and breeding success of the blue penguin (Eudyptula minor) on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 35, 63–71.
    https://doi.org/10.1080/03014220809510103

    Holdaway, R.N., Worthy, T.H. & Tennyson, A.J.D. (2001) A working list of breeding bird species of the New Zealand region at first human contact. New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 28, 119–187.
    https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2001.9518262

    Hoogstraal, H. (1967) Ixodes jacksoni n. sp. (Ixodoidea: Ixodidae) a nest parasite of the spotted cormorant, Phalacrocorax punctatus (Sparrman) in New Zealand. Journal of Medical Entomology, 4, 37–41.
    https://doi.org/10.1093/jmedent/4.1.37

    Johnston, T.H. (1937) Ticks (Ixodoidea). Scientific Reports, Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911–1914, Series C.—Zoology and Botany, 2, 5–19.

    Kohls, G.M. (1966) A new sea bird tick, Ixodes amersoni, from Phoenix Island (Acarina: Ixodidae). Journal of Medical Entomology, 3, 38–40.
    https://doi.org/10.1093/jmedent/3.1.38

    Latreille, P.A. (1795) Observations sur la variété des organes de la bouche des tiques, et distribution méthodique des insectes de cette famille d'après des caractères établis sur la conformation de ces organes. Magasín Encyclopédique, ou Journal des Sciences, des Lettres et des Arts, Paris, 4, 15–20.

    Leach, W.E. (1815) A tabular view of the external characters of four classes of animals, which Linné arranged under Insecta; with the distribution of the genera composing three of these classes into orders etc., and descriptions of several new genera and species. Transactions of the Linnaean Society, London, 11, 306–400.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1813.tb00065.x

    Maskell, W.M. (1885) On a parasite of the penguin. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, 29, 290–293, 1 pl.

    Moon, K.L., Banks, S.C. & Fraser, C.I. (2015) Phylogeographic structure in penguin ticks across an ocean basin indicates allopatric divergence and rare trans-oceanic dispersal. PLoS One, 10 (6), 1–20. e0128514.
    https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0128514

    Murray, A. (1877) Economic Entomology. Vol. I. Aptera. South Kensington Museum Science Handbooks, Chapman & Hall, London, xxii + 433 pp.
    https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.51877

    Neumann, L.G. (1899) Revision de la famille des ixodidés. Mémoires de la Société Zoologique de France, 12, 107–294.

    Neumann, LG. (1904) Notes sur les ixodidés. Archives de Parasitologie, 8, 444–464.

    Neumann, L.G. (1911) Acarina. Ixodidae. Das Tierreich. Im Auftrage der Preußischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, 26 (16), 1–169.

    Newton, N. (2006) Natural foraging and breeding behaviours of the little blue penguin Eudyptula minor including recommendations for a captive population. Unpublished Supervised Project, University of Canterbury. GCAS 8. 18 pp. Available from: http://www.anta.canterbury.ac.nz/documents/GCAS%20electronic%20projects/Nadine%20newton%20 project.pdf (accessed 20 February 2016)

    Nuttall, G.H.F. & Warburton, C. (1911) Ticks, a monograph of the Ixodoidea. Part II. The Ixodidae. Section II. Genus I. Ixodes Latreille, 1795. The University Press, Cambridge, 550 pp. [pp. 133–293]

    Nuttall, G.H.F. (1916) Notes on ticks. IV. Relating to the genus Ixodes and including a description of three new species and two new varieties. Parasitology, 8, 294–337.
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182000010623

    Peryer, M. & Heath, A.C.G. (2011) Royal spoonbill in distress—Ticks. Waikanae Estuary Newsletter [February], 48, 1–2. Available from: http://kapitibirdtours.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Feb11.pdf (accessed 4 August 2016)

    Reischek, A. (1885) Notes on New Zealand ornithology. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, 17, 187–198.

    Roberts, F.H.S. (1960) A systematic study of the Australian species of the genus Ixodes (Acarina: Ixodidae). Australian Journal of Zoology, 8, 392–485.
    https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO9600392

    Roberts, F.H.S. (1964) The tick fauna of Tasmania. Records of the Queen Victoria Museum, Launceston, New Series, 17, 1–8.

    Roberts, F.H.S. (1969) The larvae of Australian Ixodidae (Acarina: Ixodoidea). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society, 8, 37–78.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-6055.1969.tb00731.x

    Roberts, F.H.S. (1970) Australian ticks. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Melbourne, 267 pp.

    Schulze, P. (1941) Das Geruchsorgan der Zecken. Untersuchungen über die Abwandlungen eines Sinnesorgans und seine stammesgeschichtliche Bedeutung. Zeitschrift für Morphologie und Ökologie der Tiere, 37 (3), 491–564.
    https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00408327

    Senevet, G. & Ripert, C. (1967) Les larves des espèces du genre Ixodes. Annales de Parasitologie Humaine et Comparée, 42, 79–121.

    Stark, J. (1828) Elements of Natural History, adapted to the present state of the science, containing the generic characters of nearly the whole Animal Kingdom, and descriptions of the principal species. Vol. 2. Invertebrata, &c. William Blackwood, Edinburgh and T. Cadell, Strand, London, iv + 515 pp.
    https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.23508

    Stein, P.A.S. & Wodzicki, K. (1955) Dispersal of New Zealand gannets. Notornis, 6, 58–64.

    St. George, T.D., Standfast, H.A., Doherty, R.L., Carley, J.G., Fillipich, C. & Brandsma, J. (1977) The isolation of Saumarez Reef virus, a new flavivirus, from bird ticks Ornithodoros capensis and Ixodes eudyptidis in Australia. The Australian Journal of Experimental Biology and Medical Science, 55 (5), 493–499.
    https://doi.org/10.1038/icb.1977.49

    Taylor, F.H. & Murray, R.E. (1946) Spiders, ticks and mites including the species harmful to man in Australia and New Guinea. Commonwealth of Australia Service Publication (School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine), 6, 1–275.

    van Rensburg, M.J. (2010) Parasitism, disease and breeding ecology of little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor) on Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand. Unpublished MSc thesis, Massey University, Auckland, xviii + 229 pp.

    Warham, J. (1974) The Fiordland crested penguin Eudyptes pachyrhynchus. The Ibis, 116, 1–27.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.1974.tb00220.x

    White, A. (1852) Insects and Aptera. In: Sutherland, P.C. (Ed.), Journal of a voyage in Baffin’s Bay and Barrow Straits in the years 1850–1851, performed by H.M. ships “Lady Franklyn” and “Sophia”, under the command of Mr William Penny, in search of the missing crews of H.M. ships Erebus and Terror: with a narrative of sledge excursions on the ice of Wellington Channel; and observations on the natural history and physical features of the countries and frozen seas visited. Vol. 2. Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, London, pp. 208–211.

    Williams, M., Gummer, H., Powlesland, R., Robertson, H. & Taylor, G. (2006) Migration and movements of birds to New Zealand and surrounding seas. Science & Technical Publishing, New Zealand Department of Conservation, Wellington, 32 pp.

    Wilson, N. (1970) Acarina: Metastigmata: Ixodidae of South Georgia, Heard and Kerguelen. Pacific Insects Monograph, 23, 78–88.

    Wodzicki, K., Robertson, C.J.R., Thompson, H.R. & Alderton, C.J.T. (1984) The distribution and numbers of gannets (Sula serrator) in New Zealand. Notornis, 31, 232–261.

    Zumpt, F. (1952) The ticks of sea birds. Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition Reports, Series B. Zoology, 1 (6), 12–20.