Ixodes anatis

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 (family Apterygidae).

Ixodes anatis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Ixodida
Family: Ixodidae
Genus: Ixodes
Species:
I. anatis
Binomial name
Ixodes anatis
Chilton, 1904

Taxonomy

Ixodes anatis Chilton (1904), also called the kiwi tick, is a species of tick endemic to New Zealand.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

The species was originally described by Charles Chilton in 1904.[8] It was given the name anatis because the first specimens were collected from a grey duck.[8] The type specimens are housed at Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand (CMNZ).[6][5][4]

Since its original description, the morphology of I. anatis has only been partially described and characterized.[5][8] All stages of the species were recently re-described and illustrated.[5]

Hosts

Ixodes anatis has a high host specificity and mainly parasitizes the North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) and the tokoeka (Apteryx australis).[4][5] There are a handful of records that show it may have also been found on certain species of waterfowl.[4][5] It is considered to be an endophilous and nidicolous species, which means it lives within the burrows and nests of its host, the kiwi.[7]

Conservation status

Ixodes anatis is currently listed as "Not Threatened" in "Conservation status of parasitic mites and ticks (Acari) in New Zealand, 2021".[9] Although it was previously considered to be Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable, and although its bird hosts are threatened, a better understanding of its populations has led to an improved conservation status.[9]

References

  1. ^ Bansal, Natasha; Castro, Isabel; Acebes, David Izquierdo; Pomroy, William E.; Kerkhoven, Arjane (2019). "Factors affecting abundance of different stages of the endophilic tick Ixodes anatis in brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) shelters". Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases. 10 (4): 754–760. doi:10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.03.008. PMID 31031164. S2CID 139101653.
  2. ^ Bansal, Natasha; Pomroy, William E.; Heath, Allen C. G.; Castro, Isabel (2021). "Aspects of the development of Ixodes anatis under different environmental conditions in the laboratory and in the field". Parasites & Vectors. 14 (1): 85. doi:10.1186/s13071-021-04601-z. ISSN 1756-3305. PMC 7841883. PMID 33509249.
  3. ^ Swift, Rose J.; Heath, Allen C.G.; Jamieson, Sarah E. (2015). "The kiwi tick, Ixodes anatis Chilton, 1904 (Acari: Ixodidae): aspects of its biology and ecology". Systematic and Applied Acarology. 30 (1): 1. doi:10.11158/saa.20.1.1. ISSN 1362-1971. S2CID 84935929.
  4. ^ a b c d Cane, Rachel (September 2009). "Profile: Ixodes anatis Chilton 1904" (PDF). New Zealand Biosecure.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Kwak, Mackenzie L.; Heath, Allen C. G. (1 February 2018). "Redescription of the kiwi tick Ixodes anatis (Acari: Ixodidae) from New Zealand, with notes on its biology". Experimental and Applied Acarology. 74 (2): 207–223. doi:10.1007/s10493-018-0214-6. ISSN 1572-9702. PMID 29404832. S2CID 254264413.
  6. ^ a b Heath, Allen C. G.; Kwak, Mackenzie L. (2 January 2019). "Ensuring the nomenclatural stability of Ixodes anatis Chilton, 1904 with the discovery of lost type material and the designation of a lectotype". New Zealand Entomologist. 42 (1): 21–22. doi:10.1080/00779962.2019.1625023. ISSN 0077-9962. S2CID 196658272.
  7. ^ a b Heath, Allen C. G. (2010). A review of ectoparasites of Apteryx spp. (kiwi) in New Zealand, with new host records, and the biology of Ixodes anatis (Acari: Ixodidae). Tuhinga 21
  8. ^ a b c Chilton, Charles (1904). "A species of Ixodes parasitic on the grey duck". Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 36: 201–202 – via Papers Past.
  9. ^ a b Heath, Allen C. G.; Rolfe, Jeremy Richard; Michel, Pascale (February 2022). "Conservation status of parasitic mites and ticks (Acari) in New Zealand, 2021". New Zealand Threat Classification Series. 37: 1–23.


Stub icon

This article about a mite or tick is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Stub icon

This parasitic animal-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.