Ixodid ticks recovered from various animals on Okinawajima Island, Japan, in the period 2016–2021

Abstract

Ixodid ticks were recovered from various animals in the northern area of Okinawajima Island, Japan, in the period 2016–2021. The ixodid tick species Rhipicephalus sanguineus (n=39), Haemaphysalis hystricis (n=20), and Amblyomma testudinarium (n=1) were recovered from dogs. Similar tick species, namely H. hystricis, Haemaphysalis formosensis, and A. testudinarium, were recovered from cats, Ryukyu long-furred rats, and rabbits. Our results suggested that these three species are the dominant ticks that feed on small and medium-sized mammals in this area. Furthermore, A. testudinarium and H. hystricis were detected on human clothes, and A. geoemydae was recovered from Protobothrops mucrosquamatus.