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Smit A, Mulandane F, Labuschagne M, Wójick SH, Malabwa C, Sili G, Mandara S, Dlamkile Z, Ackermann R, Rose Vineer H, Stoltsz WH, Huber K, Horak IG, Morar-Leather D, Makepeace BL, Neves L. Intra- and interspecific variation of Amblyomma ticks from southern Africa. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:364. [PMID: 39198812 PMCID: PMC11351087 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06394-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amblyomma spp. ticks, known for their long mouthparts, bright ornate appearance and aggressive hunting behaviour, are vectors of a number of important pathogens. In southern Africa, 17 Amblyomma spp. are currently documented. Of these species, Amblyomma hebraeum and Amblyomma variegatum have been well studied due to their wide geographical range and their status as competent vectors of pathogens that are of veterinary and medical importance. Studies on other Amblyomma spp. in southern Africa have been neglected, fostering ongoing debates on the validity of certain species such as Amblyomma pomposum. This study investigated the inter- and intra-species variation of Amblyomma ticks collected in southern Africa, focusing on resolving the dispute about A. pomposum and A. variegatum being distinct species. METHODS Four Amblyomma tick species were collected from Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and were identified morphologically as Amblyomma eburneum (208), A. hebraeum (4758), A. pomposum (191) and A. variegatum (2577) using identification keys. Gene amplification targeting the 12S and 16S rRNA, cytochrome oxidase I, cytochrome B and internal transcribed spacer-2 genes was conducted for 204 ticks, for which varying success was achieved during amplification for each of the markers. Maximum likelihood analyses were performed in IQ-TREE. RESULTS The phylogenetic topologies and ABGD analyses of each individual gene clustered A. pomposum within the A. variegatum clade, while clearly separating A. eburneum and A. hebraeum from all other species. None of the genetic markers indicated intraspecific structuring on the basis of geographical origin, despite great distances between sampling sites. CONCLUSION Our study concludes that there is insufficient molecular evidence to differentiate A. pomposum and A. variegatum from each other. We highlight the need for whole mitochondrial genome sequencing of these two species to resolve the ongoing controversies. Furthermore, we propose mating and hybrid viability studies between the two species to confirm their reproductive isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andeliza Smit
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, Republic of South Africa.
| | | | - Martinet Labuschagne
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, Republic of South Africa
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, Republic of South Africa
| | - Stephané Heike Wójick
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, Republic of South Africa
| | | | - Gourgelia Sili
- Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, Huambo, Angola
| | - Stephen Mandara
- Department of Animal Production Sciences, Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Marondera, Zimbabwe
| | - Zinathi Dlamkile
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, Republic of South Africa
| | - Rebecca Ackermann
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, Republic of South Africa
| | - Hannah Rose Vineer
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Wilhelm Heinrich Stoltsz
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, Republic of South Africa
| | - Karine Huber
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Ivan Gerard Horak
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, Republic of South Africa
| | - Darshana Morar-Leather
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, Republic of South Africa
| | - Benjamin Lawrence Makepeace
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Luis Neves
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, Republic of South Africa
- Biotechnology Center, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique
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Matthews AE, Boves TJ, Sweet AD, Ames EM, Bulluck LP, Johnson EI, Johnson M, Lipshutz SE, Percy KL, Raybuck DW, Schelsky WM, Tonra CM, Viverette CB, Wijeratne AJ. Novel insights into symbiont population structure: Globe-trotting avian feather mites contradict the specialist-generalist variation hypothesis. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:5260-5275. [PMID: 37635403 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Researchers often examine symbiont host specificity as a species-level pattern, but it can also be key to understanding processes occurring at the population level, which are not as well understood. The specialist-generalist variation hypothesis (SGVH) attempts to explain how host specificity influences population-level processes, stating that single-host symbionts (specialists) exhibit stronger population genetic structure than multi-host symbionts (generalists) because of fewer opportunities for dispersal and more restricted gene flow between populations. However, this hypothesis has not been tested in systems with highly mobile hosts, in which population connectivity may vary temporally and spatially. To address this gap, we tested the SGVH on proctophyllodid feather mites found on migratory warblers (family Parulidae) with contrasting host specificities, Amerodectes protonotaria (a host specialist of Protonotaria citrea) and A. ischyros (a host generalist of 17 parulid species). We used a pooled-sequencing approach and a novel workflow to analyse genetic variants obtained from whole genome data. Both mite species exhibited fairly weak population structure overall, and contrary to predictions of the SGVH, the generalist was more strongly structured than the specialist. These results may suggest that specialists disperse more freely among conspecifics, whereas generalists sort according to geography. Furthermore, our results may reflect an unexpected period for mite transmission - during the nonbreeding season of migratory hosts - as mite population structure more closely reflects the distributions of hosts during the nonbreeding season. Our findings alter our current understanding of feather mite biology and highlight the potential for studies to explore factors driving symbiont diversification at multiple evolutionary scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alix E Matthews
- College of Sciences and Mathematics and Molecular Biosciences Program, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
| | - Than J Boves
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
| | - Andrew D Sweet
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Ames
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Lesley P Bulluck
- Center for Environmental Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Erik I Johnson
- Audubon Delta, National Audubon Society, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Matthew Johnson
- Audubon South Carolina, National Audubon Society, Harleyville, South Carolina, USA
| | - Sara E Lipshutz
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Katie L Percy
- Audubon Delta, National Audubon Society, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Addis, Louisiana, USA
| | - Douglas W Raybuck
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Wendy M Schelsky
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
- Prairie Research Institute, Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Christopher M Tonra
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Catherine B Viverette
- Center for Environmental Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Asela J Wijeratne
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
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Pillay A, Nyangiwe N, Mukaratirwa S. Low genetic diversity and population structuring of Amblyomma hebraeum and Rickettsia africae from coastal and inland regions in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 37:275-285. [PMID: 36468449 PMCID: PMC10191886 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Amblyomma hebraeum is the main vector of Rickettsia africae, the causative agent of African tick bite fever in southern Africa. Because pathogen dispersal is known to be influenced by tick adaptations to climate or host species, this study aimed to analyse the genetic diversity of A. hebraeum and R. africae infection of ticks collected from cattle in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. DNA was extracted, amplified, and sequenced for the COI and ITS2 markers from A. hebraeum samples and the 17 kDa and ompA genes for rickettsial detection. Between six and ten haplotypes were identified from 40 COI and 31 ITS2 sequences; however, no population structuring was observed among sites (ΦST = 0.22, p < 0.05). All A. hebraeum isolates clustered with southern Africa GenBank isolates. Rickettsia africae was detected in 46.92% (95% CI = 41%-53%, n = 260) of ticks. All R. africae isolates clustered with strain PELE and Chucks, which were reported previously from South Africa. These results confirm that A. hebraeum populations are undergoing a recent population expansion driven by cattle movement, facilitating local and long dispersal events across the Eastern Cape province.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Pillay
- School of Life Sciences, Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, South Africa
| | - Nkululeko Nyangiwe
- Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform, Animal Science, Döhne Agricultural Development Institute, Stutterheim, South Africa
- Department of Agriculture and Animal Health, University of South Africa, Florida, South Africa
| | - Samson Mukaratirwa
- School of Life Sciences, Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, South Africa
- One Health Center for Zoonoses and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies
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Pejić B, Budinski I, van Schaik J, Blagojević J. Sharing roosts but not ectoparasites: high host-specificity in bat flies and wing mites of Miniopterus schreibersii and Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (Mammalia: Chiroptera). Curr Zool 2021; 68:507-516. [DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Schreiber’s bent-winged bat Miniopterus schreibersii and the greater horseshoe bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum are widespread and common cavernicolous species across southern Europe that host numerous specialized ectoparasite species. The objective of this study was to characterize the species assemblage, genetic diversity, and host specificity of bat flies (Nycteribiidae, Diptera) and wing mites (Spinturnicidae, Acari) found on these bat hosts in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Notably, while bat flies lay puparia on the cave walls and can thus be transmitted indirectly, wing mites require direct body contact for transmission. Morphological identification and sequencing of a 710-bp fragment of cytochrome oxidase I gene of 207 bat flies yielded 4 species, 3 on M. schreibersii and 1 on R. ferrumequinum. Sequencing of a 460-bp small subunit ribosomal RNA fragment, in all 190 collected wing mites revealed 2 species, 1 per host. In no case was a parasite associated with 1 host found on the other host. Species and genetic diversity of flies were higher in M. schreibersii, likely reflecting their host’s larger colony sizes and migratory potential. Mite species of both hosts showed similarly low diversity, likely due to their faster life history and lower winter survival. Our findings highlight a remarkably high host-specificity and segregation of ectoparasite species despite direct contact among their hosts in the roost, suggesting a defined host preference in the investigated ectoparasite species. Furthermore, the differences in ectoparasite genetic diversity exemplify the interplay between host and parasite life histories in shaping parasite population genetic structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Branka Pejić
- Department of Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University in Belgrade. Bulevar despota Stefana 142, Belgrade 11060, Serbia
| | - Ivana Budinski
- Department of Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University in Belgrade. Bulevar despota Stefana 142, Belgrade 11060, Serbia
| | - Jaap van Schaik
- Applied Zoology and Nature Conservation, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Loitzer Strasse 26, Greifswald 17489, Germany
| | - Jelena Blagojević
- Department of Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University in Belgrade. Bulevar despota Stefana 142, Belgrade 11060, Serbia
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Bakkes DK, Ropiquet A, Chitimia-Dobler L, Matloa DE, Apanaskevich DA, Horak IG, Mans BJ, Matthee CA. Adaptive radiation and speciation in Rhipicephalus ticks: A medley of novel hosts, nested predator-prey food webs, off-host periods and dispersal along temperature variation gradients. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2021; 162:107178. [PMID: 33892098 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Rhipicephalus are a species-diverse genus of ticks, mainly distributed in the Afrotropics with some species in the Palearctic and Oriental regions. Current taxonomic consensus comprise nine informal species groups/lineages based on immature morphology. This work integrates biogeographic, ecological and molecular lines of evidence to better understand Rhipicephalus evolution. Phylogenetic analysis based on four genes (12S, 16S, 28S-D2 and COI) recovered five distinct clades with nine descendant clades that are generally congruent with current taxonomy, with some exceptions. Historical biogeography is inferred from molecular divergence times, ancestral distribution areas, host-use and climate niches of four phylogenetically significant bioclimatic variables (isothermality, annual, seasonal and diurnal temperature range). Novel hosts enabled host-linked dispersal events into new environments, and ticks exploited new hosts through nested predator-prey connections in food webs. Diversification was further induced by climate niche partitioning along gradients in temperature range during off-host periods. Ancestral climate niche estimates corroborated dispersal events by indicating hypothetical ancestors moved into environments with different annual and seasonal temperature ranges along latitudinal gradients. Host size for immature and adult life stages was important for dispersal and subsequent diversification rates. Clades that utilise large, mobile hosts (ungulates and carnivores) early in development have wider geographic ranges but slower diversification rates, and those utilising small, less mobile hosts (rodents, lagomorphs and afroinsectivores) early in development have smaller ranges but higher diversification rates. These findings suggest diversification is driven by a complex set of factors linked to both host-associations (host size, ranges and mobility) and climate niche partitioning along annual and seasonal temperature range gradients that vary with latitude. Moreover, competitive interactions can reinforce these processes and drive speciation. Off-host periods facilitate adaptive radiation by enabling host switches along nested predator-prey connections in food webs, but at the cost of environmental exposure that partitions niches among dispersing progenitors, disrupting geneflow and driving diversification. As such, the evolution and ecological niches of Rhipicephalus are characterised by trade-offs between on- and off-host periods, and these trade-offs interact with nested predator-prey connections in food webs, host-use at different life stages, as well as gradients in annual and seasonal temperature ranges to drive adaptive radiation and speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deon K Bakkes
- Gertrud Theiler Tick Museum - Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council - Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria 0110, South Africa; Evolutionary Genomics Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa.
| | - Anne Ropiquet
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa; Middlesex University, Department of Natural Sciences- Faculty of Science and Technology, London NW4 4BT, United Kingdom
| | | | - Dikeledi E Matloa
- Gertrud Theiler Tick Museum - Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council - Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria 0110, South Africa
| | - Dmitry A Apanaskevich
- United States National Tick Collection, the James H. Oliver, Jr. Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460-8042, USA; Biology Department, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA; Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia
| | - Ivan G Horak
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ben J Mans
- Gertrud Theiler Tick Museum - Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council - Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria 0110, South Africa; Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, South Africa
| | - Conrad A Matthee
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
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Bothma JC, Matthee S, Matthee CA. Comparative phylogeography between parasitic sucking lice and their host the Namaqua rock mouse, Micaelamys namaquensis (Rodentia: Muridae). Zool J Linn Soc 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
To gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms affecting parasite gene dispersal and subsequent evolution, we investigated mitochondrial and nuclear DNA phylogeographic structures of two ectoparasitic louse species, Polyplax praomydis and Hoplopleura patersoni, and compared this to their host Micaelamys namaquensis. Analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data derived from 13 geographic populations resulted in the detection of distinct phylogenetic clades within the parasite and host species. Strong support for host–parasite co-divergence was found over larger geographic scales but failed to show complete co-divergence over fine geographic scales. This finding led to the partial rejection of the hypothesis that the evolution of species-specific permanent parasites will mirror the phylogeographic pattern of their host. JANE co-phylogenetic reconstructions support the notion that host switching best explains the discrepancies in geographic patterns. We conclude that host specificity and permanency on the host only plays a partial role in maintaining co-divergences between parasites and their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes C Bothma
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Sonja Matthee
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Faculty of AgriScience, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Conrad A Matthee
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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New taxonomic and evolutionary insights relevant to the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis: A geographic perspective. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 155:106990. [PMID: 33096232 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, is an obligate haematophagous ectoparasite of wildlife and domestic cats and dogs worldwide. Since cat fleas can affect the health of humans and their pets, an uncertain taxonomy of this taxon can greatly inhibit pest and disease management. To address the evolution and taxonomy of the cat flea, we set out to determine 1) how many genetically distinct taxa exist, 2) whether there is morphological support for the genetically distinct taxa, and 3) the role of host range and paleoclimatic events in speciation. We collected a total of 3352 fleas sampled from 576 domestic cats and dogs as well as 10 wildlife species across 30 localities in South Africa. A total of three flea genera, five species, and three of the currently recognized cat flea subspecies, C. f. damarensis, C. f. strongylus and C. f. felis were obtained. Geometric morphometric analyses on head shape were performed on 68 female and 107 male cat flea individuals. Principal component analysis demonstrated large overlap in head shape variation between C. f. strongylus and C. f. felis, rendering this character not useful for phylogenetic inferences. DNA was extracted from 188 Ctenocephalides spp. and mitochondrial COII and nuclear EF1-α sequences were generated. Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood analyses as well as a TCS parsimony haplotype network of the mitochondrial DNA confirmed the presence of three well supported monophyletic clades. These assemblages did not fully corroborate the existence of the three C. felis subspecies. A single well-supported molecular clade included only C. f. damarensis morphotypes that were mostly collected from wildlife. The recognition of this subspecies as a distinct taxon was further corroborated by sequence distances and also the number of plantar spiniform bristles on fore-tarsi V in males. Despite the overall lack of support for the recognition of C. f. damarensis and C. f. strongylus, a geographic trend was visible whereby one genetic lineage corresponded to the western dryer hot subregion, whereas the other was found throughout the region. Bayesian dating suggested that these two clades diverged during the early Pliocene (4.18 mya), a date that corresponds well with the establishment of a dry hot climate in the west of southern Africa. If so, the off-host environment, particularly temperature and humidity, are important factors to consider in the evolution of the cat flea. The present study rejects recent assertions that the three cat flea subspecies are valid entities and rather point to a situation where more sampling is required before the taxonomic status of C. f. damarensis can be resolved.
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