 Dorsal view of a male Amblyomma variegatum with identifying features of the genus Amblyomma arrowed (click on thumbnail for larger image). |
 Ventral view of a male Amblyomma with identifying features of the genus Amblyomma arrowed (click on thumbnail for larger image). |
 Dorsal view of a female Amblyomma with identifying features of the genus Amblyomma arrowed (click on thumbnail for larger image). |
Number of species in genus
122 species (142 species if the 20 species formally described as Aponomma are included) (Barker & Murrell 2004)
Species list
A. acutangulatum Neumann, 1899
A. albolimbatum Neumann, 1907
A. albopictum Neumann, 1899
A. americanum (Linnaeus, 1758)
A. antillorum Kohls, 1969
A. argentinae Neumann, 1905
A. arianae Keirans & Garris, 1986
A. astrion Donitz, 1909
A. aureolatum (Pallas, 1772)
A. auricularium (Conil, 1878)
A. australiense Neumann, 1905
A. babirussae Schulze, 1933
A. bibroni (Gervais, 1842)
A. boulengeri Hirst & Hirst, 1910
A. brasiliense Aragao, 1908
A. breviscutatum Neumann, 1899
A. cajennense (Fabricius, 1787)
A. calabyi Roberts, 1963
A. calcaratum Neumann, 1899
A. chabaudi Rageau, 1964
A. clypeolatum Neumann, 1899
A. coelebs Neumann, 1899
A. cohaerens Donitz, 1909
A. colasbelcouri (Santos Dias, 1958)
A. compressum (Macalister, 1872)
A. cooperi Nuttall & Warburton, 1908
A. cordiferum Neumann, 1899
A. crassum Robinson, 1926
A. crenatum Neumann, 1899
A. cruciferum Neumann, 1901
A. curraca Schulze, 1936
A. cyprium Neumann, 1899
A. darwini Hirst & Hirst, 1910
A. decorosum (Koch, 1867)
A. dissimile Koch, 1844
A. dubitatum Neumann, 1899
A. eburneum Gerstacker, 1873
A. echidnae Roberts, 1953
A. extraoculatum Neumann, 1899
A. falsomarmoreum Tonelli-Rondelli, 1935
A. fulvum Neumann, 1899
A. fuscum Neumann, 1907
A. geayi Neumann, 1899
A. gemma Donitz, 1909
A. geochelone Durden, Keirans & Smith, 2002
A. geoemydae (Cantor, 1847)
A. glauerti Keirans, King & Sharrad, 1994
A. goeldii Neumann, 1899
A. hainanense Teng, 1981
A. hebraeum Koch, 1844
A. helvolum Koch, 1844
A. hirtum Neumann, 1906
A. humerale Koch, 1844
A. imitator Kohls, 1958
A. incisum Neumann, 1906
A. inornatum (Banks, 1909)
A. integrum Karsch, 1879
A. javanense (Supino, 1897)
A. laticaudae Warburton, 1933
A. lepidum Donitz, 1909
A. limbatum Neumann, 1899
A. loculosum Neumann, 1907
A. longirostre (Koch, 1844)
A. macfarlandi Keirans, Hoogstraal & Clifford, 1973
A. macropi Roberts, 1953
A. maculatum Koch, 1844
A. marmoreum Koch, 1844
A. moreliae (Koch, 1867)
A. moyi Roberts, 1953
A. multipunctum Neumann, 1899
A. naponense (Packard, 1869)
A. neumanni Ribaga, 1902
A. nitidum Hirst & Hirst, 1910
A. nocens Robinson, 1912 sensu Theiler &
A. nodosum Neumann, 1899
A. nuttalli Donitz, 1909
A. oblongoguttatum Koch, 1844
A. ovale Koch, 1844
A. pacae Aragao, 1911
A. papuanum Hirst, 1914
A. parkeri Fonseca & Aragao, 1952
A. parvitarsum Neumann, 1901
A. parvum Aragao, 1908
A. paulopunctatum Neumann, 1899
A. pecarium Dunn, 1933
A. perpunctatum (Packard, 1869)
A. personatum Neumann, 1901
A. pictum Neumann, 1906
A. pilosum Neumann, 1899
A. pomposum Donitz, 1909
A. postoculatum Neumann, 1899
A. pseudoconcolor Aragao, 1908
A. pseudoparvum Guglielmone, Mangold & Keirans, 1990
A. quadricavum (Schulze, 1941)
A. rhinocerotis (de Geer, 1778)
A. robinsoni Warburton, 1927
A. rotundatum Koch, 1844
A. sabanerae Stoll, 1890
A. scalpturatum Neumann, 1906
A. scutatum Neumann, 1899
A. sparsum Neumann, 1899
A. splendidum Giebel, 1877
A. squamosum Kohls, 1953
A. striatum Koch, 1844
A. superbum Santos Dias, 1953
A. supinoi Neumann, 1905
A. sylvaticum (de Geer, 1778)
A. tapirellum Dunn, 1933
A. testudinarium Koch 1844
A. testudinis (Conil, 1877)
A. tholloni Neumann, 1899
A. tigrinum Koch, 1844
A. torrei Perez Viqueras, 1934
A. triguttatum Koch, 1844
A. trinitatus Turk, 1948
A. triste Koch, 1844
A. tuberculatum Marx, 1894
A. usingeri Keirans, Hoogstraal & Clifford, 1973
A. variegatum (Fabricius, 1794)
A. varium Koch, 1844
A. vikirri Keirans, Bull, & Duffield, 1996
A. williamsi Banks, 1924
Identifying features of genus
Adults
- Anal groove: Present and embracing the anus posteriorly
- Eyes: Present
- Festoons: Present and numbering 11
- Basis capituli: Variable in form but often sub rectangular or subtriangular
- Ornamentation: Present (exceptions: A. australiense )
- Palpi: Usually elongate, with article 2 being especially long
- Legs: Usually striped
- Ventral plates (males only): Absent, but small ventral plaques may be present
Nymphs
- Anal groove: Present and embracing the anus posteriorly
- Eyes: Present and flat or bulging
- Festoons: Present and numbering 11
- Basis capituli: Variable in form but often sub rectangular or subtriangular
- Palpi: Elongate and constricted proximally, with article 2 being especially long
Larvae
- Anal groove: Absent
- Palpi: Long with 4 articles (exception is A. maculatum )
- Festoons: Present and numbering 11
- Number of large wax glands near s6 : One pair of large wax glands between MD2 and MD3 (s6 )
- Tibial setae: ad2 and pd2 on legs 2-3 absent
- Eyes: Present
- Post hypostomal setae: 1 pair present
-
Species occuring in New Zealand
No Amblyomma with eyes present in New Zealand. However the eyeless Amblyomma (Aponomma) sphenodonti is endemic to New Zealand.
Species that are considered to be a risk
A. americanum (this species has previously been intercepted at New Zealands border)
Species previously intercepted at border
North America/USA: A. americanum
Pacific, western and central: A. cyprium
General comments
- Widely distributed but absent from palaearctic region (except Japan) and Antarctica
- Hosts are amphibians, repiles, birds or mammals
- Several species are of veterinary and medical importance. Some Amblyomma species are vectors of the agents of heartwater and human ehrlichiosis.
- A small number of species can also cause tick paralysis
Useful references
Barker SC & Murrell A 2004. Systematics and evolution of ticks with a list of valid genus and species names. Parasitology, 129: S15-S36.
Camicas, JL, hervy JP, Adam, F & Morel PC 1998. Les Tiques de Monde. Nomenclature, stades decrits, hotes, repartition. The ticks of the world. Nomenclature, described stages, hosts, distribution (Acarida, Ixodida).
Horack IG, Camicas, J-L & Kierans, JE 2002. The Argasidae, Ixodidae and Nuttalliellidae (Acari: Ixodida): a world list of valid tick names. Experimental and Applied Acarology, 28: 27-54.
Klompen H, Dobson SJ & Barker SC 2002. A new subfamily, Bothriocrotoninae n. subfam., for the genus Bothriocroton Kerians, King & Sharrad, 1994 status amend. (Ixodida: Ixodidae), and the synonymy of Aponomma Neumann, 1899 with Amblyomma Koch, 1844. Systematic Parasitology, 53: 101-107.
Roberts FHS 1970. Australian Ticks. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Melborne. 267 pp.
Walker AR, Bouattour A, Camicas JL, Estrada-Pena AA, Horak IG, Litif AA, Pegram RG & PM Preston 2007. Ticks of domestic animals in Africa. Bioscience Reports, Edinburgh. University of Edinbrugh.