Proposing a new hypothesis: Rickettsia spp. as a mechanism maintaining parapatry between two Australian reptile tick species
| Autor: | Morgan Staines, Simon Bull, Tessa M. Bradford, Stephen Graves, Michael G. Gardner |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
Ecology biology Lizard 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology Parapatric speciation Tick biology.organism_classification 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Spotted fever Rickettsia Amblyomma limbatum biology.animal Ixodid tick Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics Bothriocroton hydrosauri |
| Zdroj: | Austral Ecology. 45:488-492 |
| ISSN: | 1442-9993 1442-9985 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/aec.12897 |
| Popis: | This study investigates two parasitic reptile ticks — Bothriocroton hydrosauri and Amblyomma limbatum — of the sleepy lizard (Tiliqua rugosa) that abut at a 1–2 km wide parapatric boundary in South Australia. Long‐term research has investigated potential mechanisms to explain the maintenance of this boundary but has not uncovered why the distribution of A. limbatum does not extend further south. It has been previously hypothesised that pathogens may be responsible for maintaining parapatric boundaries. Rickettsia spp. has previously been reported in B. hydrosauri ticks. This study explored whether Rickettsia spp. occurs in co‐occurring A. limbatum. We observed that Rickettsia spp. was absent from all A. limbatum ticks and that 83% of examined B. hydrosauri were found to be positive with a spotted fever group Rickettsia strain. This study puts forward the hypothesis that Rickettsia spp. could contribute to the maintenance of the Mt Mary parapatric boundary between these two tick species. Further work is required to determine whether Rickettsia spp. can be transmitted from B. hydrosauri to A. limbatum and — if transmission can occur — to explore whether Rickettsia is lethal to A. limbatum ticks. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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