Hard-tick
Guides
Amblyomma
Bont Ticks
Amblyomma is the third largest genus of hard ticks (Ixodidae), comprising medium to large, often ornamented species. The genus is the sole member of the subfamily Amblyomminae and exhibits its highest species diversity in the Americas, where half of all species occur. Many Amblyomma species are medically significant as vectors of human and animal pathogens, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, and the agent of alpha-gal syndrome. The genus likely originated between South America and Antarctica approximately 48 million years ago, with subsequent diversification and dispersal into Australian and South American Gondwana.
Haemaphysalis
Haemaphysalis is the second largest genus of hard ticks (family Ixodidae), comprising approximately 170 species distributed across all continents except Antarctica. The genus is distinguished by morphological features including lateral salience on palpal article II and eyeless adults with short mouthparts. Most species parasitize birds and mammals, with highest diversity concentrated in the Oriental and Afrotropical regions. The Asian longhorned tick (H. longicornis) has emerged as a significant invasive species in North America since 2017.
Ixodes affinis
Ixodes affinis is a hard-bodied tick species distributed across the southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Unlike its congener Ixodes scapularis, this species does not bite humans but serves as a competent vector for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, the causative agent of Lyme disease. Immature stages feed on birds and small mammals, while adults parasitize larger mammals including deer and dogs. Its expanding range into southeastern Virginia and association with migratory birds has raised concerns about its role in pathogen dispersal.
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