title: Morphological and genetic diversity of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato from the New and Old Worlds.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The taxonomic status of the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu stricto), which has long been regarded as the most widespread tick worldwide and a vector of many pathogens to dogs and humans, is currently under dispute.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a comprehensive morphological and genetic study of 278 representative specimens, which belonged to different species (i.e., Rhipicephalus bursa, R. guilhoni, R. microplus, R. muhsamae, R. pusillus, R. sanguineus sensu lato, and R. turanicus) collected from Europe, Asia, Americas, and Oceania. After detailed morphological examination, ticks were molecularly processed for the analysis of partial mitochondrial (16S rDNA, 12S rDNA, and cox1) gene sequences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In addition to R. sanguineus s.l. and R. turanicus, three different operational taxonomic units (namely, R. sp. I, R. sp. II, and R. sp. III) were found on dogs. These operational taxonomical units were morphologically and genetically different from R. sanguineus s.l. and R. turanicus. Ticks identified as R. sanguineus s.l., which corresponds to the so-called "tropical species" (= northern lineage), were found in all continents and genetically it represents a sister group of R. guilhoni. R. turanicus was found on a wide range of hosts in Italy and also on dogs in Greece.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tropical species and the temperate species (= southern lineage) are paraphyletic groups. The occurrence of R. turanicus in the Mediterranean region is confirmed. A consensual re-description of R. sanguineus s.s. and R. turanicus will be necessary to solve the taxonomic problems within the so-called R. sanguineus group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Research Centre, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation 50670420 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. filipe.vet@globo.com
authors.forename: Filipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dantas-Torres
authors.forename: Maria Stefania
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Latrofa
authors.forename: Giada
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Annoscia
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giannelli
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parisi
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Otranto
mesh_terms: D000569:Americas; D000818:Animals; D001208:Asia; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004285:Dogs; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D044349:Oceania; D058974:Phylogeography; D048508:Rhipicephalus sanguineus / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV