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Description of a new species of Ixodes Latreille, 1795 (Acari: Ixodidae), a parasite of rodents (Rodentia: Muridae) in Algeria

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Abstract

Ixodes algericus n. sp. (Acari: Ixodidae) is described based on females, nymphs and larvae ex rodents (Rodentia: Muridae) from Algeria. Females of this new species possess a unique set of morphological characters allowing identification of this species from any other Ixodes Latreille, 1795 species. These characters include the lack of genital apron, length of auriculae, development of syncoxae and length of spurs on coxa I. The nymph and larva of I. algericus n. sp. can be distinguished from the potentially sympatric Ixodes s. str. species by the shape of the scutum, number of alloscutal setae, length of auriculae and shape of the hypostome.

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Acknowledgements

We express our sincere thanks to Maria A. Apanaskevich for her editing of the illustrations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory LEBIOT, Faculty of Biological and Agricultural Sciences, Mouloud Mammeri University, 15000, Tizi Ouzou, Algeria

    Lydia Aftisse & Samira Merabet

  2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Art, Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, 60250, Tokat, Taşlıçiftlik, Turkey

    Adem Keskin

  3. United States National Tick Collection, The James H. Oliver, Jr. Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, 30460-7982, USA

    Dmitry A. Apanaskevich

  4. Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia, 30460, USA

    Dmitry A. Apanaskevich

Authors
  1. Lydia Aftisse
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  2. Samira Merabet
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  3. Adem Keskin
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  4. Dmitry A. Apanaskevich
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Contributions

LA and SM collected tick specimens from the field and identified host animals. DAA prepared and designed scanning electron micrographs. DAA and AK wrote and edited the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Adem Keskin or Dmitry A. Apanaskevich.

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Aftisse, L., Merabet, S., Keskin, A. et al. Description of a new species of Ixodes Latreille, 1795 (Acari: Ixodidae), a parasite of rodents (Rodentia: Muridae) in Algeria. Syst Parasitol 102, 5 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-024-10197-6

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