Ixodes anatis
Species of tick parasitic on kiwi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ixodes anatis, also called the kiwi tick, is a species of tick in the arthropod family Ixodidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and mainly parasitizes kiwi (family Apterygidae).
| Ixodes anatis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Ixodida |
| Family: | Ixodidae |
| Genus: | Ixodes |
| Species: | I. anatis |
| Binomial name | |
| Ixodes anatis Chilton, 1904 | |
Taxonomy
Ixodes anatis Chilton (1904), also called the kiwi tick, is a species of tick endemic to New Zealand.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
The species was originally described by Charles Chilton in 1904.[8] It was given the name anatis because the first specimens were collected from a grey duck.[8] The type specimens are housed at Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand (CMNZ).[6][5][4]
Since its original description, the morphology of I. anatis has only been partially described and characterized.[5][8] All stages of the species were recently re-described and illustrated.[5]
Hosts
Ixodes anatis has a high host specificity and mainly parasitizes the North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) and the tokoeka (Apteryx australis).[4][5] There are a handful of records that show it may have also been found on certain species of waterfowl.[4][5] It is considered to be an endophilous and nidicolous species, which means it lives within the burrows and nests of its host, the kiwi.[7]
Conservation status
Ixodes anatis is currently listed as "Not Threatened" in "Conservation status of parasitic mites and ticks (Acari) in New Zealand, 2021".[9] Although it was previously considered to be Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable, and although its bird hosts are threatened, a better understanding of its populations has led to an improved conservation status.[9]
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