New finding on a migratory bird, the fowl tick Argas (Persicargas) persicus (Oken, 1818), in Italy.

Abstract

Migratory birds reach Europe from sub-Saharan Africa, and some avian species may harbor and transport infected ectoparasites, mainly ticks, native to the territories of departure. In 2022, a project focused on identifying the introduction of pathogens in Italy from Africa via migratory birds represented an important opportunity to investigate this particular route of tick dispersal. Among ticks collected from migratory birds on the island of Ventotene, Latium Region, we found one larva of a soft tick on a common whitethroat (Curruca communis) that was morphologically and molecularly identified to the species level as Argas (Persicargas) persicus (Oken 1818). This study reports the fifth detection of this species in Italy; therefore, it is considered very rare. Further monitoring programmes should be implemented to better monitor the spread of this species and possibly update its distribution.