Morphological and molecular identification of tick species from body surface of domestic animals in northwestern Yunnan

Objective To investigate the species composition and genetic variants of ticks in the northwest area of Yunnan province. Methods The collected ticks from the body surface of domestic animals were identified morphologically. The 16S rDNA and ITS2 segments of ticks were amplified respectively by PCR and sequenced. The homologies of the above segments with other known sequences were analyzed. Results A total of 1 275 ticks were collected from the body surface of domestic animals and classified into four species of three genus of one family by species morphological identification. Of them, 1 263 (99.1%) were Rhipicephalus microplus, 7 (0.6%) were Ixodes ovatus, 4 (0.3%) were Ixodes acutitarsus and 1 (0.1%) were Haemaphysalis sp. Molecular detection confirmed the results of the morphological identification. Sequence analysis showed that 16S rDNA fragments of tick P6 shared highest homology (99.8%) with Rhipicephalus microplus (EU918188) from India, and 99.4% homology with Rhipicephalus microplus (JX051062) from Yunnan of China. 16S rDNA fragments of tick P2's shared highest homology (93.8%) with Ixodes ovatus (U95900) from USA. Tick P1's 16S rDNA fragments shared highest homology (95.9%) with Ixodes acutitarsus (AB105167) from Japan. Tick P4's 16S rDNA fragments shared highest homology (90.5%) with Haemaphysalis parva (JX573136) from Australia, and 88.7% homology with Haemaphysalis longicornis (JX051064) from Yunnan of China. Tick P6's ITS2 fragments shared highest homology (99.9%) with Rhipicephalus microplus from Laos (KC503276) and Yunnan of China (KC203364). Tick P2's ITS2 fragments shared highest homology (96.1%) with Ixodes ovatus (D88857) from Japan. Tick P1' ITS2 fragments shared highest homology (95.3%) with Ixodes acutitarsus (AB605168) from Japan. Tick P4's ITS2 fragments shared highest homology (91.0%) with Haemaphysalis parva(FN296282)from Romania. Conclusion Rhipicephalus microplus, Ixodes ovatus, Ixodes acutitarsus and a new Haemaphysalis sp. which is related to Haemaphysalis parva, were detected on the body surface of domestic animal in Yunnan province.