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ARS Home » Plains Area » Kerrville, Texas » Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory » Veterinary Pest Genetics Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #417621
Research Project: Genetics of Veterinary Pests

Location: Veterinary Pest Genetics Research Unit

Title: Multiple introductions of North American Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks revealed using mitogenomics

Author
item NARVAEZ, ZOE - Rutgers University
item EGIZI, ANDREA - Monmouth County
item YABSLEY, MICHAEL - University Of Georgia
item THOMPSON, ALEC - University Of Georgia
item MOUSTAFA, MOHAMED - Rutgers University
item ALT, ERIKA - West Virginia Department Of Agriculture
item BICKERTON, MATTHEW - Rutgers University
item BJORGO-THORNE, KIM - West Virginia Wesleyan College
item BUTLER, REBECCA - University Of Tennessee
item CUMBIE, ALEXANDRA - Virginia Polytechnic Institution & State University
item EASTWOOD, GILLIAN - Virginia Polytechnic Institution & State University
item FALCO, RICHARD - New York State Department Of Health
item FONSECA, DINA - Rutgers University
item HANG, JUN - Walter Reed Army Institute
item LEWIS, NICOLE - New Jersey Department Of Agriculture
item LOVY, JAN - New Jersey Department Of Agriculture
item Maestas, Lauren
item MATHER, THOMAS - University Of Rhode Island
item OCCI, JAMES - Rutgers University
item STOOPS, CRAIG - Walter Reed Army Institute
item TROUT-FRYXELL, REBECCA - University Of Tennessee
item WATSON, WES - North Carolina State University
item ZHENG, AIHUA - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item Saelao, Perot
item PRICE, DANA - Rutgers University

Submitted to: Molecular Ecology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/7/2025
Publication Date: 4/24/2025
Citation: Narvaez, Z.E., Egizi, A.M., Yabsley, M.J., Thompson, A.T., Moustafa, M., Alt, E., Bickerton, M., Bjorgo-Thorne, K., Butler, R.A., Cumbie, A., Eastwood, G., Falco, R., Fonseca, D.M., Hang, J., Lewis, N., Lovy, J., Maestas, L.P., Mather, T.N., Occi, J.L., Stoops, C.A., Trout-Fryxell, R.T., Watson, W., Zheng, A., Saelao, P., Price, D. 2025. Multiple introductions of North American Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks revealed using mitogenomics. Molecular Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71312.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71312

Interpretive Summary: The Asian longhorned tick is a tick with significant medical and agricultural risk due to its ability to spread various diseases. To better understand the genetic expansion of the populations spreading within the U.S. the authors developed a rapid, low-throughput sequencing technique to quickly sequence the complete mitochondrial genome of the specimens. From this research the authors were able to estimate that four separate introductions of the tick took place since its introduction into the U.S.

Technical Abstract: The Asian longhorned tick (ALT), Haemaphysalis longicornis, is a three-host hard tick native to East Asia. Its opportunistic feeding habits make it an acute agricultural and medical threat, capable of spreading various zoonotic diseases. An affinity for livestock and companion animals has allowed parthenogenetic populations of ALT to travel to and establish in overseas locations including the United States. To better understand the population dynamics of this rapidly expanding species, we sequenced the complete mitogenome of specimens collected from native and invasive ranges and performed phylogeographic analyses. As well as illustrating the diversity of foreign and domestic ALT haplotypes, these methods have allowed us to estimate the source and frequency of successful introductions to the US. We highlight four potential introductions, with likely origin populations identified in the Republic of Korea and Japan. These findings provide insight into potential routes of entry for ALT and other invasive tick species.