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Species Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) australis Fuller, 1899

Miscellaneous Literature Names

 

Introduction

The economically important Australian cattle tick has been known for over 100 years as Boophilus microplus (Canestrini). Under that name, it has been the subject of an enormous literature, both in Australia and other countries (reviewed by Angus, 1998, with selected references below). However, new evidence has shown that the Australian cattle tick is a separate species, which was originally described as Rhipicephalus australis by Fuller (1899) (Labruna et al., 2009; Estrada-Peña et al., 2012). All the previous literature on the Australian cattle tick actually refers to Rhipicephalus australis, not Boophilus microplus.

Recent research has shown that the genus Boophilus is a junior synonym of Rhipicephalus (see Beati & Keirans 2001; Murrell & Barker 2003). The Australian cattle tick should therefore be known as Rhipicephalus australis. However, in order to maintain the link between the names Boophilus and microplus, the genus Rhipicephalus is now considered to include two subgenera, and the Australian cattle tick is now known as Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) australis. Barker & Walker (2014) reviewed the biology and morphology of this species in detail.

 

General References

Angus, B.M. 1998. Tick Fever and the Cattle Tick in Australia 1829-1996. Brisbane : Queensland Department of Primary Industries 540 pp. (as Boophilus microplus)

Arthur, D.R. 1960. Ticks. A Monograph of the Ixodoidea. Part V. On the Genera Dermacentor, Anocentor, Cosmiomma, Boophilus, & Margaropus. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press 251 pp. (as Boophilus microplus)

Barker, S.C., Walker, A.R. & Campelo, D. 2014. A list of the 70 species of Australian ticks; diagnostic guides to and species accounts of Ixodes holocyclus (paralysis tick), Ixodes cornuatus (southern paralysis tick) and Rhipicephalus australis (Australian cattle tick); and consideration of the place of Australia in the evolution of ticks with comments on four controversial ideas. International Journal for Parasitology 44: 941-953. (as Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) australis)

Barker, S.C. & Walker, A.R. 2014. Ticks of Australia. The species that infest domestic animals and humans. Zootaxa 3816: 1-144. (as Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) australis)

Beati, L. & Keirans, J.E. 2001. Analysis of the systematic relationships among ticks of the genera Rhipicephalus and Boophilus (Acari: Ixodidae) based on mitochondrial 12S ribosomal DNA gene sequences and morphological characters. Journal of Parasitology 87: 32-48

Camicas, J.-L., Hervy, J.-P., Adam, F. & Morel, P.C. 1998. Les Tiques du Monde (Acarida, Ixodida). Paris : Orstom 233 pp. (as Boophilus microplus)

Carne, P.B. (ed.) 1987. Scientific and Common Names of Insects and Allied Forms Occurring in Australia. Melbourne : CSIRO 120 pp. (as Boophilus microplus)

Curtice, C. 1896. The cattle tick (Boophilus bovis, Riley sp.). Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales 7: 454-466 pls I, II (as Boophilus bovis)

Estrada-Peña, A., Venzal, J.M., Nava., S., Mangold, A., Guglielmone, A.A., Labruna, M.B. & de la Fuente, J. 2012. Reinstatement of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) australis (Acari: Ixodidae) with redescription of the adult and larval stages. Journal of Medical Entomology 49: 794–802 (as Rhipicephalus (Boophilis) australis)

Ferguson, E.W. 1925. Australian ticks. The Australian Zoologist 4: 24-35 (as Boophilus annulatus ssp. australis)

Fielding, J.W. 1926. Australasian ticks. Commonwealth of Australia Department of Health, Service Publication (Tropical Division) 9: 1-114 (as Boophilus australis)

Fuller, C. 1896. Notes on the Queensland cattle tick. Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales 7: 451-453 (as Boophilus bovis)

Fuller, C. 1896. The bovine tick fever. Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales 7: 760-787 pls I-V (as Ixodes bovis)

Graham, O.H. & Price, M.A. 1966. Some morphological variations in Boophilus annulatus microplus (Acarina : Ixodidae) from Northern Mexico. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 59: 450-452 (as Boophilus annulatus ssp. microplus)

Hoogstraal, H. 1956. African Ixodoidea. I. Ticks of the Sudan. Cairo, Egypt : US Navy Medical Research Unit No 3. 1101 pp. (as Boophilus microplus)

Labruna, M.B., Naranjo, V., Mangold. A.J., Thompson, C., Estrada-Peña, A., Guglielmone, A.A., Jongejan, F. & de la Fuente, J. 2009. Allopatric speciation in ticks: genetic and reproductive divergence between geographic strains of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. BMC Evolutionary Biology 9(46): 12 pages

Lee, D.C. & Southcott, R.V. 1979. Spiders and other Arachnids of South Australia. In South Australian Yearbook, 1979. South Australian Government Printer : Adelaide. 15 pp. (as Boophilus microplus)

Murrell, A. & Barker, S.C. 2003. Synonymy of Boophilus Curtice, 1891 with Rhipicephalus Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae). Systematic Parasitology 56: 169-172

Naumann, I. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Australian Insect Names. Common and Scientific Names for Insects and Allied Organisms of Economic and Environmental Importance. Melbourne : CSIRO Publications v 200 pp. [Date published 31/12/1993] (as Boophilus microplus)

Neumann, G. 1901. Revision de la famille des Ixodidés. Mémoires de la Société Zoologique de France 14: 249-372 (as Rhipicephalus annulatus var. australis)

Rainbow, W.J. 1899. The Queensland cattle tick. Records of the Australian Museum 3: 131-133 (as Rhipicephalus annulatus)

Rainbow, W.J. 1906. A synopsis of Australian Acarina. Records of the Australian Museum 6: 145-193 (as Rhipicephalus annulatus)

Roberts, F.H.S. 1934. Ticks infesting domesticated animals in Queensland. Queensland Agricultural Journal 41: 114-123 (as Boophilus microplus)

Roberts, F.H.S. 1947. Ticks infesting domestic animals in Queensland. Queensland Agricultural Journal 64: 233-244 (as Boophilus microplus)

Roberts, F.H.S. 1965. The taxonomic status of the species of the genera Rhipicephalus Koch and Boophilus Curtice (Acarina : Ixodidae) occurring in Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 13: 491-523 (as Boophilus microplus)

Roberts, F.H.S. 1969. The larvae of Australian Ixodidae (Acarina : Ixodoidea). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 8: 37-78 (as Boophilus microplus)

Roberts, F.H.S. 1970. Australian Ticks. Melbourne : CSIRO 267 pp. (as Boophilus microplus)

Seddon, H.R. 1952. Diseases of Domestic Animals in Australia. Part 3. Tick and Mite Infestations. Commonwealth of Australia Department of Health, Service Publication (Division of Veterinary Hygeine) 7. 200 pp. (as Boophilus microplus)

Seddon, H.R. 1968. Diseases of Domestic Animals in Australia. Part 3. Arthropod Infestations (Ticks and Mites). Commonwealth of Australia Department of Health, Service Publication (Veterinary Hygeine) (Revised by H. E. Albiston) Vol. 7 170 pp. (as Boophilus microplus)

Taylor, F.H. 1911. Report of the Entomologist. Reports of the Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine 1911: 49-74 pls XII-XIV (as Boophilus annulatus var. australis)

Taylor, F.H. 1946. Spiders, ticks and mites, including the species harmful to man in Australia and New Guinea. Section 1. Descriptive. Commonwealth of Australia Department of Health, Service Publications (School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, University of Sydney) 6: 1-234 (as Boophilus microplus)

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
01-May-2017 Acari 14-Feb-2017 MODIFIED Dr Bruce Halliday
26-Apr-2016 IXODIDAE Dugès, 1834 12-Nov-2014 ADDED Lyn Randall
07-May-2013 07-May-2013 MODIFIED
07-May-2013 16-Feb-2012 MODIFIED
07-May-2013 08-Jul-2010 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)