Four new host records for Amblyomma geoemydae (Cantor) (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae) from captive tortoises and freshwater turtles (Reptilia: Testudines) in the turtle conservation center, Cuc Phuong National Park, Vietnam

2006·2.7 MB·

PROC. ENTOMOL. SOC. WASH.
108(3), 2006, pp. 726-729
Nore
Four New Host Records for Amblyomma geoemydae (Cantor) (Acari: Ixodida:
Ixodidae) from Captive Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles (Reptilia: Testudines) in
the Turtle Conservation Center, Cuc Phuong National Park, Vietnam
There are 23 native species of tortoises yellow tortoise, /ndotestudo elongata
and freshwater turtles in Vietnam, and all (Blyth); and the impressed tortoise, Man-
of them are threatened with extirpation ouria impressa (Gunther). The vast major-
due to insatiable Chinese market demand ity of tick specimens (98 2, 93 2, 1,031
and widespread, accelerating habitat de- nymphs, 286 larvae) removed from these
struction (Hendrie 2000). Responding to hosts were Amblyomma geoemydae (Can-
this crisis, in 1998 Fauna and Flora tor). In addition, 4 ¢ and 3 & of
International, in cooperation with the Amblyomma supinoi Neumann were taken
Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and from 1 ¢ and 1 2, respectively, of Z
Rural Development, formally established elongata, the principal host of this un-
the Turtle Conservation Center (TCC) at commonly collected tick (Robbins and
Cuc Phuong National Park, in the north- Platt 2001). All ticks were preserved in
ern part of the country (20°14-20°249N, 70-80% ethanol and shipped to RGR for
105°29-105°44'E). The TCC is charged identification and analysis, prior to de-
with promoting awareness of threats to position in the Division of Entomology,
Vietnam9s native turtles, training wildlife Peabody Museum of Natural History,
protection officers, and establishing a con- Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
servation breeding program for critically Published records of A. geoemydae
endangered Species. Currently, the TEC exist for the yellow-margined box turtle,
encompasses ~ 2,000 m2, with more than Cuora flavomarginata (Gray); C. mouho-
50 outdoor enclosures for terrestrial spe- tii; the Asian leaf turtle, Cyclemys
cies, and several dozen aquatic and semi- dentata (Gray); the black-breasted leaf
aquatic enclosures, including six <8free- turtle, Geoemyda spengleri (Gmelin); the
ranging9 enclosures with functioning spiny turtle, Heosemys spinosa (Gray);
streams and constructed wetlands. Enclo- the Travancore tortoise, Indotestudo tra-
sures measure from | m2 to > 84 m2, the vancorica (Boulenger); the Asian brown
larger ones having been designed to tortoise, Manouria emys (Schlegel and
represent near-natural environments, with Miller); the Japanese turtle, Mauremys
an abundance of leaf litter, shelter sites, japonica (TYemminck and Schlegel); and
and native vegetation (Calle and Hendrie the Indian black turtle, Me/lanochelys
2003, Hendrie 2003, Calle et al. 2005). trijuga (Schweigger) (Simmons and Bur-
Between March 2003 and March 2004, we ridge. 2000) Thus; four yot sthes ive
were able to obtain 75 tick collections, testudines examined for ticks at the
comprising 1,515 specimens, from 5 of the TCC provided new host records for A.
17 captive tortoise and turtle species then geoemydae, and the 27 tick collections
held at the TCC (all seized from illegal made from these hosts are listed in
traffickers): the Indochinese box turtle, Table 1. Significantly, our two new host
Cuora galbinifrons (Bourret); the three- tortoises4J. elongata and M. impressa4
keeled box turtle, C. mouhotii (Gray); the appear in Appendix II (species not
yellow-headed temple turtle, Hieremys necessarily threatened with extinction
annandalii (Boulenger); the elongated or but that may become so unless trade is
VOLUME 108, NUMBER 3 C207
Table 1. Collections of Amblyomma geoemydae from previously unreported hosts at the Turtle
Conservation Center, Cuc Phuong National Park, Vietnam, 12 March 2003-17 March 2004 (Cg = Cuora
galbinifrons, Ha = Hieremys annandalii, le = Indotestudo elongata, Mi = Manouria impressa; N = nymph,
ee 4 slave):
Tortoise/Turtle No./Sex Tick Totals Tick Attachment Sites Date
Case? i 2 no data 15 April 2003
Ha4, ¢ ) 2 TUN carapace, neck, tail 21 March 2003
Iel5, & 1 2 carapace 10 November 2003
Ie32, 2 1 2 rear leg 12 March 2003
Ie33, § 1 2 carapace 20 October 2003
1e34, 2 1 2 carapace 9 April 2003
[e93, @ i carapace 20 October 2003
Ie170, 2 1 rear leg 5 June 2003
1e268. ¢ list & carapace, tail 30 March 2003
1e305. & Bg carapace 20 October 2003
1e314. o il & carapace 13 March 2003
1e365. 2 Ayam les carapace, plastron 15 October 2003
1e416, & Dard sah 8 carapace 15 October 2003
1e424. 2 5 & carapace, plastron 15 October 2003
1e425. & DE carapace 20 October 2003
1e428. ¢ 12 plastron 4 October 2003
1e459. & ite plastron 15 October 2003
1e589, 3 lied: carapace 30 March 2003
1e643, & il & carapace 11 April 2003
1e649. & i carapace 20 October 2003
Ie651, rg carapace 20 October 2003
Ie661, 2 IN front leg 20 August 2003
1e662, ¢ 3N front leg, neck 20 August 2003
1e663, ° 2 E22 iN carapace, plastron, rear leg 20 August 2003
1e664, ¢ 6 2. 27N front leg, neck, plastron, rear leg 20 August 2003
legge. 12 rear leg 17 March 2004
Mi25. ° 4422.60N,16L carapace, front leg, neck, rear leg 17 March 2003
strictly regulated) of the Convention on eastern Asia, this species is known from
International Trade in Endangered Spe- southern Japan (Kyushu and the Ryu-
cies of Wild Fauna and Flora (van Dijk kyu Islands) and Taiwan (Yamaguti et
et al. 2000), a signal that opportunities to al. 1971, Robbins 2005). An unpublished
investigate similar host-parasite relation- collection from Sri Lanka (U.S. National
ships may be fading. Tick Collection No. RML 106681) and
Amblyomma geoemydae 1s chiefly a tick recent records from the Western Ghats
of southern and southeastern Asia, most of India (states of Karnataka and
records having come from peninsular Kerala) suggest that A. geoemydae may
and insular Malaysia (Sabah, Sarawak), occur in all countries bordering the Bay
Indonesia (Java, Kalimantan Borneo, of Bengal (Vijaya 1983, Frazier and
Sumatra), the Philippines, Singapore, Keirans 1990). Among the most distinc-
Thailand, and Vietnam (Tanskul et al. tive amblyommines in Asia (the female
1983, Kolonin 1995, Petney and Keirans foveae are unusually large and_ the
1995, Voltzit and Keirans 2002). In nymphal scutum is conspicuously or-
728 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
Table 2. Non-testudine hosts of Amblyomma geoemydae specimens in the U.S. National
Tick Collection.
Host Location Tick Stage(s)
Reptiles
Python reticulatus (Schneider) Malaysia: Johor 2 IN IL
Varanus dumerilii (Schlegel) Malaysia: Johor N
Varanus salvator (Laurent) Malaysia: Johor, Perak, Sabah, Selangor Gis FIN
Thailand: Tak
Birds
Anthracoceros malayanus (Raffles) Malaysia: Pahang N
Centropus sinensis (Stephens) Malaysia: Pahang N
Ceyx erithacus (L.) Malaysia: Negeri Sembilan N
Dupetor flavicollis (Latham) Malaysia: Pahang iL.
Lacedo pulchella (Horsfield) Thailand: Nakhon Si Thammarat N
Napothera macrodactyla (Strickland) Malaysia: Negeri Sembilan N
Pitta brachyura (L.) Malaysia: Pahang INS
Pitta moluccensis (Statius Muller) Malaysia: Pahang L
Pitta sordida (Statius Miller) Malaysia: Negeri Sembilan, Pahang N, L
Platylophus galericulatus (Cuvier) Malaysia: Selangor N
Rhizothera longirostris (Temminck) Malaysia: Kelantan N
Stachyris poliocephala (Temminck) Malaysia: Negeri Sembilan, Selangor N
Zoothera marginata Blyth Thailand: Chanthaburi N
Mammals
Arctogalidia trivirgata (Gray) Malaysia: Perak 2
Hemigalus derbyanus (Gray) Malaysia: Terengganu N
Homo sapiens L. Indonesia: Sumatra #
Malaysia: Sarawak
Manis crassicaudata Gray Sri Lanka 2
Pardofelis marmorata Martin Thailand: Nakhon Ratchasima N
Sus scrofa L. Malaysia: Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, ose SN
Pahang, Perak, Selangor
nate), A. geoemydae principally parasi- the Wildlife Conservation Society9s Field
tizes testudines, though other reptiles Veterinary Program for invaluable logis-
and, occasionally, mammals may serve tical support. Dr. James E. Keirans,
as hosts of all stages, while birds are former Curator of the U.S. National Tick
sometimes infested by immatures (Hoog- Collection, Institute of Arthropodology
straal and Aeschlimann 1982). Non- and Parasitology, Georgia Southern Uni-
testudine hosts of specimens in the U.S. versity, Statesboro, kindly supplied all
National Tick Collection are summa- records of A. geoemydae in his care. This
rized in Table 2. Despite the diversity of study was supported by a grant from the
apparently suitable host species, no Conservation Endowment Fund of the
disease agents have been associated with American Zoo and Aquarium Associa-
bites of this tick. We anticipate that tion and by the Wildlife Conservation
ongoing studies at the TCC will yield Society9s Health Sciences Division.
additional new host records for A.
geoemydae, as well as data on tick
population dynamics.
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We thank the officers of Cuc Phuong
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