The Ornithodoros (Alectorobius) capensis group (Acarina: Ixodoidea: Argasidae) of the palearctic and oriental regions. O. (A.) coniceps identity, bird and mammal hosts, virus infections, and distribution in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Ornithodoros (Alectorobius) coniceps (Canestrini 1890), which was briefly described from adult specimens from St. Mark's Cathedral, Venice, Italy, has been a confusing taxon. We redescribe and illustrate the adult and immature stages from St. Mark's Cathedral (topotypes) and elsewhere, list criteria to distinguish this species from others in the O. (A.) capensis complex, and provide data for 36 collections, chiefly from nest sites of wild and domestic pigeons in humid, rocky situations, and from a nest of the pallid swift, in Italy, France, Egypt, Kenya, Israel, Jordan, Afghanistan, Ukrainia, and Turkmenia. Other collections of small-sized adults and nymphs, lacking larvae, from pigeon, swallow, and swift nest in Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka, are tentatively assigned to this taxon. This is the only member of the O. (A.) capensis group not associated with marine or wading birds. Humans bitten by O. (A.) coniceps in buildings or caves may suffer from pain, edema, chills, and fever. BAku virus (Reoviridae) has been isolated from this tick in Uzbekistan, but most reports of other viruses and infectious agents are clouded by probable misidentification of O. (A.) maritimus as O. (A. coniceps. Published data on the life cycle and dynamics are reviewed briefly. Previously, this tick has not been reported from the Ethiopian Faunal Region (Kenya).
D000349:Africa; D000818:Animals; D001208:Asia; D010856:Columbidae / Q000469:parasitology; D004199:Disease Vectors; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D013045:Species Specificity; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000209:etiology; D013987:Ticks / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000382:microbiology; D014780:Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification