Amblyomma


Amblyomma, also known as the Bont Ticks, are a genus of hard ticks. Some are disease vectors, such as of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in United States or ehrlichiosis in Brazil.
This genus is the third largest in the family Ixodidae, after Ixodes and Haemaphysalis, with its species primarily occupying the torrid zones of all the continents. The centre of species diversity is on the American continent, where half of all the species occur. On this continent, Amblyomma species reach far beyond the torrid zone, up to the 40th parallel in the Northern Hemisphere, to the 50th parallel in the Southern Hemisphere, and even reaches the alpine zone of the Andes. They also occur in Eurasia, Africa and Australia.

Evolutionary history and systematics

Amblyomma is the largest genus in the Amblyocephalus lineage, and the only member of the Amblyomminae subfamily. Modelling suggests the most recent common ancestor of the Amblyocephalus originated approximately 48 million years ago, and the genus began to diversify approximately 37 ma. The Amblyomma MRCA likely evolved in a region between South America and Antarctica, lending credence to an out-of-Antarctica hypothesis for the genus' origin. A genetic divide in modern lineages between Australian Amblyomma and Amblyomma from the rest of the world supports the idea that the genus diverged in two directions out of Antarctica, with one lineage dispersing into Australian Gondwana, and another into South American Gondwana, at the end of the Eocene.
The genus has historically been large, and highly varied, morphologically, making circumscription criteria in accordance with genetic phylogenies difficult to define. Following the 2020 and 2024 excision of Africaniella and Cryptocroton species, respectively, Amblyomma is now monophyletic. Many species complexes remain unresolved, however. Additionally, most Amblyomma subgenera remain polyphyletic, with only Amblyomma and Amblyomma being monophyletic''.''''''

Description

Amblyomma species are medium to large, often ornamented ticks. They are subcircular to elliptical, with subpentagonal basis capituli and elongate mouthparts. Most species have eyes, except for those of the subgenus Amblyomma.'' Lateral grooves and festoons are usually distinct. Amblyomma ticks parasitise a wide range of vertebrates, except for amphibians.
The internal anatomy of Amblyomma species has been described in detail in a few species, including Amblyomma maculatum and Amblyomma variegatum.

Species

Amblyomma albolimbatum Neumann, 1907Amblyomma albopictum Neumann 1899Amblyomma americanum Linnaeus, 1758 - lone star tickAmblyomma anicornuta Apanaskevich & Apanaskevich, 2018Amblyomma antillorum Kohls 1969Amblyomma arcanum Karsch, 1879Amblyomma argentinae Neumann, 1905Amblyomma astrion Dönitz, 1909Amblyomma aureolatum Pallas, 1772Amblyomma auricularium Conil, 1878Amblyomma australiense Neumann, 1905Amblyomma babirussae Schulze, 1933Amblyomma beaurepairei Vogelsang & Santos Dias 1953Amblyomma boeroi Nava et al., 2009Amblyomma boulengeri Hirst & Hirst, 1910Amblyomma brasiliense Aragão, 1908Amblyomma breviscutatum Neumann, 1899Amblyomma cajennense Fabricius, 1787Amblyomma calabyi Roberts, 1963Amblyomma calcaratum Neumann, 1899Amblyomma chabaudi Rageau, 1964Amblyomma clypeolatum Neumann, 1899Amblyomma coelebs Neumann, 1899Amblyomma cohaerens Dönitz, 1909Amblyomma compressum Macalister, 1872Amblyomma cordiferum Neumann, 1899Amblyomma crassipes Neumann, 1901Amblyomma crassum Robinson, 1926Amblyomma crenatum Neumann 1899Amblyomma cruciferum Neumann, 1901Amblyomma darwini Hirst & Hirst, 1910Amblyomma dissimile Koch 1844Amblyomma dubitatum Neumann 1899Amblyomma eburneum Gerstäcker, 1873Amblyomma echidnae Roberts 1953Amblyomma exornatum Koch, 1844Amblyomma extraoculatum Neumann 1899Amblyomma falsomarmoreum Tonelli-Rondelli, 1935Amblyomma fimbriatum Koch, 1844Amblyomma flavomaculatum Lucas, 1846Amblyomma fulvum Neumann, 1899Amblyomma fuscolineatum Lucas, 1847Amblyomma fuscum Neumann, 1907Amblyomma geayi Neumann, 1899Amblyomma gemma Dönitz, 1909Amblyomma geochelone Durden, Keirans & Smith, 2002Amblyomma geoemydae Cantor, 1847Amblyomma gervaisi Lucas, 1847Amblyomma glauerti Keirans, King & Sharrad, 1994Amblyomma goeldii Neumann 1899Amblyomma hadanii Nava et al., 2014Amblyomma hainanense Teng, 1981Amblyomma hebraeum Koch, 1844Amblyomma helvolum Koch, 1844Amblyomma hirtum Neumann, 1906Amblyomma humerale Koch, 1844Amblyomma incisum Neumann, 1906Amblyomma inopinatum Santos Dias, 1989Amblyomma inornatum Banks, 1909Amblyomma integrum Karsch, 1879Amblyomma interandinum Nava et al., 2014Amblyomma javanense Supino, 1897Amblyomma kappa Kwak, 2024Amblyomma komodoense Oudemans, 1928Amblyomma kraneveldi Anastos, 1956Amblyomma latepunctatum Tonelli Rondelli, 1939Amblyomma latum Koch, 1844Amblyomma lepidum Dönitz, 1909Amblyomma limbatum Neumann, 1899Amblyomma loculosum Neumann, 1907Amblyomma longirostre Koch, 1844Amblyomma macfarlandi Keirans, Hoogstraal & Clifford, 1973Amblyomma macropi Roberts, 1953Amblyomma maculatum Koch, 1844Amblyomma marmoreum Koch, 1844Amblyomma mixtum Koch, 1844Amblyomma moreliae Koch, 1867Amblyomma moyi Roberts, 1953Amblyomma multipunctum Neumann, 1899Amblyomma naponense Packard, 1869Amblyomma neumanni Ribaga 1902Amblyomma nitidum Hirst & Hirst, 1910Amblyomma nodosum Neumann, 1899Amblyomma nuttalli Dönitz, 1909Amblyomma oblongoguttatum Koch, 1844Amblyomma ovale Koch, 1844Amblyomma pacae Aragão, 1911Amblyomma parkeri Fonseca & Aragao, 1952Amblyomma parvitarsum Neumann, 1901Amblyomma parvum Aragão, 1908Amblyomma patinoi Nava, et al., 2014Amblyomma pattoni Neumann, 1910Amblyomma paulopunctatum Neumann 1899Amblyomma pecarium Dunn, 1933Amblyomma personatum Neumann, 1901Amblyomma pictum Neumann, 1906Amblyomma pilosum Neumann, 1899Amblyomma pomposum Dönitz, 1909Amblyomma postoculatum Neumann, 1899Amblyomma pseudoconcolor Aragão, 1908Amblyomma pseudoparvum Guglielmone, Mangold & Keirans, 1990Amblyomma quadricavum Schulze, 1941Amblyomma rhinocerotis de Geer, 1778Amblyomma robinsoni Warburton 1927Amblyomma romarioi Martins, Luz and Labruna, 2019Amblyomma romitii Tonelli Rondelli, 1939Amblyomma rotundatum Koch 1844Amblyomma sabanerae Stoll, 1894Amblyomma scalpturatum Neumann, 1906Amblyomma sculptum Berlese, 1888Amblyomma scutatum Neumann, 1899Amblyomma soembawense Anastos, 1956Amblyomma sparsum Neumann, 1899Amblyomma splendidum Giebel, 1877Amblyomma squamosum Kohls, 1953Amblyomma supinoi Neumann, 1905Amblyomma sylvaticum de Geer, 1778Amblyomma tapirellum Dunn, 1933Amblyomma tenellum Koch, 1844Amblyomma testudinarium Koch, 1844Amblyomma tholloni Neumann, 1899Amblyomma tigrinum Koch 1844Amblyomma tonelliae Nava et al., 2014Amblyomma torrei Pérez Vigueras, 1934Amblyomma triguttatum Koch 1844Amblyomma trimaculatum Lucas, 1878Amblyomma triste Koch 1844Amblyomma tuberculatum Marx, 1894Amblyomma usingeri Keirans, Hoogstraal & Clifford, 1973Amblyomma varanense Supino, 1897Amblyomma variegatum Fabricius 1798Amblyomma varium Koch, 1844Amblyomma vikirri Keirans, Bull & Duffield, 1996Amblyomma williamsi Banks, 1924Amblyomma yucumense Krawczak, Martins & Labruna, 2015

Fossil species