Occurrence of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in indian hunting wild animals in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil

H.S. Soares1, T.F. Martins1, A.H.H. Minervino1, J.T.R. Lima1, D.G. Saraiva1, A.F. Malheiros1, M.B. Labruna1, S.M. Gennari1 1Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health - School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science University of São Paulo, São Paulo-SP.

Ticks are arthropod ectoparasites, of the class Arachnida, of worldwide distribution, parasitizing terrestrial vertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. They are important for public and animal health for transmitting infectious agents and causing injuries to their hosts during blood feeding. During the month of September 2010, ticks from Indian hunting wild animals in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, were collected. Ticks were collected from a snake (Bothrops moojeni), a nine- banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), a white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), a Brazilian giant tortoise (Chelonoidis denticulata), a rusty-margined guan (Penelope superciliaris), a bare-faced curassow (Crax fasciolata), a razor-billed curassow (Pauxi tuberosa), a wild-mouse (Cerradomys scotti), a Brazilian agouti (Dasyprocta azarae) and a collared peccary (Pecari tajacu). Ticks were identified using a dissecting microscope and taxonomic keys. In total, 30 adult ticks, 178 nymphs and 246 larvae from wild animals were collected, as follows: one female of Amblyomma rotundatum and three nymphs of Amblyomma humerale from B. moojeni; one Amblyomma pseudoconcolor male from D. novemcinctus; six males, three females, and eight nymphs of Amblyomma cajennense, and a female of Amblyomma oblongoguttatum from T. pecari; 12 males of A. humerale from C. denticulata; one nymph of A. cajennense and a larva of Amblyomma sp from P. superciliaris; 32 nymphs of A. cajennense from C. fasciolata; one nymph of Amblyomma naponense, 46 nymphs of A. cajennense and 243 larvae of Amblyomma sp from P. tuberosa; two nymphs of Amblyomma ovale from C. scotti; one nymph of Haemaphysalis juxtakochi, five nymphs of A. cajennense and two larvae of Amblyomma sp from D. azarae; two males and two females of A. naponense, one male, one female and 79 nymphs of A. cajennense from P. tajacu. This present study constitutes the first report of nymphs of A. humerale parasitizing snake B. moojeni in Brazil. The tick A. humerale has already been reported in Brazil in lizard Plica plica, Plica umbra and Kentropyx calcarata. The present record of A. humerale in B. moojeni, reinforces previous findings of this species of tick using reptiles as hosts for nymphal stage. The present study reports, for the first time in Brazilian territory, nymphs of A. cajennense in P. superciliaris, C. fasciolata and P. tuberosa, nymph of A. naponense in P. tuberosa and nymph of H. juxtakochi in D. azarae.