Haemaphysalis tick diversity in North Kerala, India: Rediscovery and redescription of Haemaphysalis sambar (Acari: Ixodidae) from a new host, Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris, Carnivora: Felidae).

Knowledge of Haemaphysalis ticks infesting domestic and wild animals remains scarce in northern Kerala, India. A systematic study was undertaken to identify and characterize Haemaphysalis tick species infesting domestic and wild animals in northern Kerala, India. They were further characterized using mitochondrial 16S rRNA, nuclear 18S rRNA and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (MT-COI) genes and the phylogenetic analysis was performed using the generated sequences. In this study, H. bispinosa, H. spinigera, H. turturis, H. minuta, and H. sambar were recovered from wild animals, and H. bispinosa, H. spinigera and H. turturis were identified in domestic animals. The most predominant haemaphysalid ticks infesting goats was H. bispinosa (70.44%), followed by H. turturis (1.25%); while in cattle, it was H. bispinosa (78.88%), followed by H. spinigera (9.31%). The interspecific genetic distance of all the Haemaphysalis sp. studied based on MT-COI ranged from 9.52 to 26.73%, exceeding the delimiting genetic distance. In addition, the rediscovery and redescription of H. sambarHoogstraal, 1971, from a new host, the Bengal tiger in Kerala, India, previously known only from a single male specimen, is also reported.