Ornithodoros sawaii (Acari: Ixodida: Argasidae) collected from nest soil/litter of Synthliboramphus antiquus, Synthliboramphus wumizusume, and nest soil/litter and nestlings of Hydrobates monorhis on Gugul and Sogugul Islands, Jeollanam Province, Republic of Korea

Abstract

The 65th Medical Brigade and Medical Department Activity-Korea, in collaboration with the Migratory Birds Research Center, National Park Research Institute, conducted a migratory bird tick-borne disease surveillance program on Gugul and Sogugul Islands, two small, remote, uninhabited islands in southwestern Jeollanam Province, Republic of Korea (ROK) from 2015–2016. Ticks were collected from nest soil/litter of the Ancient Murrelet, Synthliboramphus antiquus, Japanese Murrelet, Synthliboramphus wumizusume, and Swinhoe’s Storm Petrel, Hydrobates monorhis, using Tullgren funnels. A total of 100 Ornithodoros sawaii (25 females, 56 males, 17 nymphs, and 2 larvae) were collected from 2/33 (6.1%) Ancient Murrelet, 3/11 (27.3%) Japanese Murrelet, and 23/94 (24.5%) Swinhoe’s Storm Petrel nest sites. In addition, 3 larvae were collected from Swinhoe’s Storm Petrel nestlings. Ticks were identified morphologically and species determination was confirmed using polymerase chain reaction techniques. This is the first record of O. sawaii collected from nest soil/litter of the Japanese Murrelet during this bird’s nesting season in the ROK.