Narvaez Zoe E, Egizi Andrea M, Yabsley Michael J, Thompson Alec T, Moustafa Mohamed, Alt Erika, Bickerton Matthew, Bjorgo Kim, Butler Rebecca A, Cumbie Alexandra, Eastwood Gillian, Falco Richard C, Fonseca Dina M, Hang Jun, Harper Vanessa L, Lewis Nicole, Lovy Jan, Maestas Lauren P, Mather Thomas N, Nakao Ryo, Occi James L, Rainey Tadhgh, Sal Melanie, Stoops Craig A, Trout-Fryxell Rebecca T, Watson Wes, Wagner Nicole E, Zheng Aihua, Saelao Perot, Price Dana C
Center for Vector Biology, Rutgers University New Brunswick New Jersey USA.
Tick-Borne Diseases Laboratory Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division Tinton Falls New Jersey USA.
Ecol Evol. 2025 Apr 24;15(4):e71312. doi: 10.1002/ece3.71312. eCollection 2025 Apr.
The Asian longhorned tick (ALT), , is a three-host hard tick native to East Asia. Its opportunistic feeding habits make it an acute agricultural and medical threat, capable of spreading various zoonotic pathogens. An affinity for livestock and companion animals has allowed parthenogenetic populations of ALT to travel to and establish in overseas locations including the United States. To better understand the population dynamics of this rapidly expanding species, we sequenced the complete mitogenome of specimens collected from native and invasive ranges and performed phylogeographic analyses. As well as illustrating the diversity of Australasian and US ALT haplotypes, these methods have allowed us to estimate the source and frequency of successful introductions to the US. We highlight four potential introductions of parthenogenetic ALT, with likely origin populations identified in the Republic of Korea and Japan. These findings provide insight into potential routes of entry for ALT and other invasive tick species.
亚洲长角血蜱（ALT）原产于东亚，是一种三宿主硬蜱。其机会主义的取食习性使其成为农业和医学方面的严重威胁，能够传播多种人畜共患病原体。对家畜和伴侣动物的偏好使得亚洲长角血蜱的孤雌生殖种群得以传播到包括美国在内的海外地区并在那里定殖。为了更好地了解这种迅速扩张的物种的种群动态，我们对从原生和入侵区域采集的标本的完整线粒体基因组进行了测序，并进行了系统地理学分析。这些方法不仅展示了澳大利亚和美国亚洲长角血蜱单倍型的多样性，还使我们能够估计成功引入美国的来源和频率。我们强调了孤雌生殖亚洲长角血蜱的四次潜在引入事件，确定其可能的起源种群在韩国和日本。这些发现为亚洲长角血蜱和其他入侵蜱种的潜在入境途径提供了见解。
