Exoskeleton anomalies in taiga tick females from populations of the Asian part of Russia

Abstract

Geographic variation of exoskeleton anomalies in females of the taiga tick Ixodes persulcatus Schulze, 1930 is described in populations of the Asian part of Russia. The total material examined comprised 3872 females collected by the flagging method from vegetation in the Far Eastern, Siberian, and Ural Federal Districts of Russia. Exoskeleton anomalies were found in all the populations studied, the “shagreen skin” anomaly of the scutum being prevalent in all the localities. Anomalies were significantly more frequent (63.4 ± 3.39%) in females collected north of 55°N than in those collected in more southern localities of the Siberian Federal District (33.1 ± 3.43%). At the same time, the frequency of anomalies was lower (24.4 ± 1.93%) in females from the Far Eastern Federal District than in specimens from territories with an extreme continental climate. The variation in the females’ exoskeleton structure observed in the Asian part of Russia may reflect the natural phenogeographic variability rather than result from anthropogenic impact.