Antricola delacruzi
Species of tick
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Antricola delacruzi is a species of soft ticks in the family Argasidae, indigenous to the Brazilian rain forest.[1][2] The species exclusively parasites insectivorous cave-dwelling bats of the Pteronotus genus. The species is only haematophagous as larvae, subsisting on bat guano as nymphs and adults.[3][4] This behaviour is unique among soft ticks - Alectorobius amblus is found on sea bird guano, but all developmental stages are hematophagous.[5]
| Antricola delacruzi | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Ixodida |
| Family: | Argasidae |
| Genus: | Antricola |
| Species: | A. delacruzi |
| Binomial name | |
| Antricola delacruzi (Estrada-Pena, Barros-Battesti & Venzal, 2004) | |
The exact component of the guano that is consumed remains unclear, but it is rich in protein, iron and chitin, which the species' sialotranscriptome is compatible with.[5] This unique diet exposes the species to viruses shed in the guano, many of which are previously undescribed Nairoviridae.[6]
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