Notes on New World Persicargas ticks (Acari: Argasidae) with description of female Argas (P.) keiransi

• Published in: Journal of medical entomology Vol. 43; no. 5; pp. 801 - 809
• Main Authors: Estrada-Peña, A, Venzal, J.M, González-Acuña, D, Mangold, A.J, Guglielmone, A.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.09.2006
• Subjects: Americas; animal morphology; animal taxonomy; Animals; Argas; Argas (Persicargas) keiransi; Argas - classification; Argas - ultrastructure; Argasidae; Argasidae - anatomy & histology; Argasidae - classification; Chile; Demography; Female; geographical distribution; Geography; Larva - ultrastructure; mitochondrial DNA; Molecular Sequence Data; molecular systematics; nucleotide sequences; Phylogeny; ribosomal DNA; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; sequence homology; Species Specificity; taxonomic keys; ticks; Chile; Americas
• ISSN: 0022-2585; 1938-2928
• DOI: 10.1603/0022-2585%282006%2943%5B801%3ANONWPT%5D2.0.CO%3B2

The female of Argas (Persicargas) keiransi Estrada-Peña, Venzal & González-Acuña (Acari: Argasidae) is described from specimens collected in the type locality in Chile. The female has a unique combination of characters in the dorsal cuticle and in the number and pattern of ventrolateral setae in the basis capituli. Additional features on tarsus I chaetotaxy and dorsal plate are provided for the larva of the species, as observed on flat specimens derived from engorged females collected in the type locality. Keys for the larvae of the New World Persicargas are provided as well as illustrations for prominent characters in hypostome and posterolateral setae. The mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequence of A. keiransi has been obtained, and an analysis of the phylogenetic relationships with other ticks is included. Phylogenetic analysis provides support for a Persicargas grouping of species, separated from species in Argas.