Hornok Sándor, Keskin Adem, Uspensky Igor, Kontschán Jenő, Takács Nóra, Lesiczka Paulina, Warbroek Tim, van den Bosch Tijs J M, Keve Gergő, Pitó Andor, Sándor Attila D
Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary; HUN-REN UVMB Climate Change: New Blood-sucking Parasites and Vector-borne Pathogens Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Art, Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat, Türkiye.
Int J Parasitol. 2025 Sep 19. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.09.002.
The southern part of Europe is one of the most species-rich regions from the point of view of the genus and subgenus Ixodes. However, numerous unresolved or questionably interpreted issues exist in the context of tick species indigenous to Mediterranean countries, such as the validity of Ixodes festai, synonymy of Ixodes tatei with Ixodes eldaricus (never tested molecularly) or the haplotype heterogeneity of Ixodes gibbosus. In this study, 21 specimens of six tick species from the subgenus Ixodes were compared morphologically with high resolution digital microscopy and also analyzed with molecular-phylogenetic methods based on two mitochondrial genetic markers. The nymphs of I. eldaricus and I. tatei showed differences in the morphology of the scutum and basis capituli. Both the nymph and the females of I. festai could be distinguished from those of I. eldaricus, I. ventalloi and I. acuminatus. A female tick resembled I. gibbosus but was also different from this species, based on its descriptions. Analysis of phylogenetic relationships confirmed with moderate to strong support that all six species examined in this study represent different taxa of the subgenus Ixodes, including a previously unknown sister species to I. gibbosus. The latter is recognized and described here as a new species, Ixodes paragibbosus Hornok and Kontschán, sp. nov. Based on findings of this study, the tick species I. tatei Arthur, 1959 should be resurrected and reestablished. Morphological and phylogenetic comparisons performed here (including the first barcoding sequences of I. eldaricus and I. festai) confirm that the latter is a valid species, distinct from both I. eldaricus and I. ventalloi. For the differential diagnosis of the above species, the results highlight the importance of observing (among other structures) the auriculae, the internal spur of coxa I and the hypostome.
从硬蜱属和硬蜱亚属的角度来看，欧洲南部是物种最为丰富的地区之一。然而，在地中海国家本土蜱种的背景下，存在许多未解决或解释存疑的问题，比如费氏硬蜱的有效性、泰氏硬蜱与埃氏硬蜱的同义关系（从未进行过分子检测）或瘤硬蜱的单倍型异质性。在本研究中，对硬蜱亚属的六种蜱的21个标本进行了高分辨率数字显微镜下的形态学比较，并基于两个线粒体遗传标记采用分子系统发育方法进行了分析。埃氏硬蜱和泰氏硬蜱的若虫在盾板和假头基部的形态上存在差异。费氏硬蜱的若虫和雌蜱都可以与埃氏硬蜱、文氏硬蜱和尖硬蜱区分开来。一只雌蜱与瘤硬蜱相似，但根据描述也与该物种不同。系统发育关系分析得到中度到有力支持，证实本研究中检测的所有六个物种都代表硬蜱亚属的不同分类单元，包括瘤硬蜱的一个先前未知的姐妹物种。后者在此被识别并描述为一个新物种，即拟瘤硬蜱Hornok和Kontschán，新种。基于本研究的结果，1959年的泰氏硬蜱应恢复并重新确立。此处进行的形态学和系统发育比较（包括埃氏硬蜱和费氏硬蜱的首个条形码序列）证实，后者是一个有效物种，与埃氏硬蜱和文氏硬蜱都不同。对于上述物种的鉴别诊断，结果突出了观察（除其他结构外）耳叶、第一对足基节内距和下咽的重要性。
