title: Genetic markers for the identification of two tick species, Amblyomma dissimile and Amblyomma rotundatum.
abstract: Genetic markers are described for 2 species of reptile and amphibian ticks, Amblyomma dissimile and Amblyomma rotundatum, by allozyme electrophoresis. Fixed allelic differences in 4 out of the 8 examined loci allowed the unequivocal separation of both of these species. A strong correlation was found between these genetic markers and the relative size of the spurs in coxae IV but not with the punctuation pattern of the scutum. Moreover, no overlap was found in the distribution of relative spur sizes between samples of both species. The percent polymorphic loci and the mean percent heterozygosity per locus for A. rotundatum was considerably lower than that for A. dissimile. Differences in the amount of genetic variability may be related to their modes of reproduction.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ecologia, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas, Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lampo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rangel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mata
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D004798:Enzymes / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005819:Genetic Markers; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008297:Male; D013045:Species Specificity; D013987:Ticks / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004798:Enzymes; D005819:Genetic Markers