title: A noteworthy record of Ornithodoros (Alectorobius) coniceps (Ixodida: Argasidae) from Central Italy.
abstract: The first record of Ornithodoros (Alectorobius) coniceps (Canestrini) was reported for Italy in 1877, inside the interstices of the ancient mosaics at S. Marco Basilica in Venice. Afterwards only few discoveries of the species are reported for Italy; the last record is dated back to 1984, in L'Aquila town (Abruzzo Region). The present study shows the data of a survey carried out as a result of a massive infestation by O. coniceps in an ancient villa in Anzio town (Latium region) recently restored. In the past decades the villa has been fallen into disrepair, becoming an occasional shelter for wild animals mainly pigeons, that colonized the whole building for generations. This case appears worthy of note because it is the first record of this species after more than 25 years in Italy. A total of 136 specimens were collected by three methods: manual, mechanical aspirators and Wilson traps. Wilson trapping indicates positive O. coniceps tropism for CO(2).
authors.affiliation: Section of Vector-Borne Diseases and International Health, Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome, Italy. cristina.khoury@iss.it
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Khoury
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: Antonio Andrea
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Massa
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Severini
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Luca
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Toma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D010856:Columbidae / Q000469:parasitology; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D026861:Ornithodoros / Q000502:physiology*; D011157:Population Dynamics; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology*