Amblyomma ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) parasitizing Rhinella major in the eastern Amazon

ABSTRACT

Currently, there are approximately 896 species of ticks worldwide. Considering the paucity of information on amphibian parasitism by ticks in the state of Pará, in the Brazilian Amazon, the present study aimed to collect, identify, and report tick species found on Rhinella major. Specimens of Rhinella major (N = 52) were collected by active search during the night in the area influenced by the Curuá-Una hydroelectric power plant, in the municipality of Santarém, located in western State of Pará, Brazil. Nineteen individuals were found infested with ticks, representing a prevalence of 36.53%. All ticks found were identified by morphological analysis and classified in two stages: larvae and nymphs. The present study provides the first-specific locality record of Amblyomma dissimile parasiting the host R. major at the state of Pará, Brazil, with comments on its infestation.

KEYWORDS:

• Amphibians
• ticks
• Amblyomma dissimile
• hosts
• ectoparasites

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) (CAPES) for the scholarship for Darlison C. Souza. The authors are grateful to Laísa Almeida Coimbra and Francesca Angiolani-Larrea for the English revision.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethics approval

This study was approved by the Animal Use Committee from the Federal University of Western Pará (Authorization #0320180024). Wild animals were collected with the approval from the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources, authorized through the Biodiversity Information and Authorization System – SISBIO nº. 52610-1.