Dermacentor limbooliati, a new tick species from Malaysia and Vietnam

A new tick species found in Malaysia and Vietnam was recently discovered by researchers in Georgia.

Adults of the new species, Dermacentor limbooliati, are similar to those of Dermacentor auratus and of Dermacentor compactus, species with which it was previously confused. However, D. limbooliati can be distinguished by a number of characteristics which are described in an article in the Journal of Medical Entomology called "Description of New Dermacentor (Acari: Ixodidae) Species From Malaysia and Vietnam."

The authors, Drs. Dmitry and Maria Apanaskevich of Georgia Southern University, discovered the new species while re-examining the extensive holdings of Oriental Dermacentor ticks in the United States National Tick Collection (USNTC).

"The USNTC is still a treasure box for new species," Dmitry said. "Maria, my wife, is very-well trained in tick systematics and enthusiastically helps me in various aspects of my work. We looked through the Indocentor collection, which is enormous—my rough estimate would be 10,000-15,000 specimens—and found this new species as well as some other interesting findings that will be prepared for publications soon."

Many of the specimens were found more than four decades ago in the 1960s in Malaysia's Mata Ayer Forest Reserve and Kaki Bukit Forest Reserve, where they were collected from vegetation, Sus scrofa resting beds, a human, and from clothing.

The new species is named after Dr. Lim Boo Liat, "a Malaysian zoologist who made invaluable Dermacentor collections in Malaysia during 1960s-1970s."