title: First report of exotic ticks (Amblyomma rotundatum) parasitizing invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina) on the Island of Hawai'i.
abstract: Our surveys of 1401 invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina) from the Hawaiian islands of Hawai'i, O'ahu, and Maui revealed the presence of an exotic tick, Amblyomma rotundatum. Immature and adult female ticks infested three wild adult toads at a single site in the vicinity of a zoo south of Hilo, Island of Hawai'i, Hawai'i, USA. We found no tick-infested toads on O'ahu or Maui. This tick infests cane toads in their native Neotropical range, but it was excluded from Hawai'i when the original founder toads were introduced over 80 years ago. The circumstances of our discovery suggest that A. rotundatum was independently and belatedly introduced to Hawai'i with imported zoo animals, and Hawai'i now joins Florida as the second U.S. state where this tick is established.
authors.affiliation: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03093, Balboa, Ancon, Panama, Republic of Panama. Electronic address: crystal.kelehear@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Crystal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kelehear
authors.affiliation: School of Life and Environmental Sciences, A08, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Cameron M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, Science, Technology, and Analysis Services, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, 1920 Dayton Avenue, Ames, IA 50010, United States.
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Mertins
authors.affiliation: School of Life and Environmental Sciences, A08, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shine
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002024:Bufo marinus / Q000469:parasitology*; D006254:Hawaii / Q000453:epidemiology; D058865:Introduced Species; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000145:classification*; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Amblyomma rotundatum; Amphibian; Anuran; Bufonidae; Ectoparasite; Ixodidae