An additional records of Hyalomma marginatum rufipes Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) in southwestern and southern Iran with a molecular evidence

Hyalomma marginatum rufipes (Acari: Ixodidae) along with three closely related subspecies is considered as marginatum group. The subspecies had proven as main vector of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, the cause of human death in Asia, Africa and Europe. This tick is also a vector of parasitic protozoan Theileria annulata, agent of tropical theileriosis in cattle. Nonetheless, taxonomical status of this tick not recognized or confirmed in tick’s fauna of Iran, then we decided to show most taxonomic characteristics and confirm the presence of this subspecies in Iran by molecular methods. Tick specimens were collected from cattle in Manujan township, Kerman province, southern Iran. Specimens were identified morphologically using suitable taxonomical identification keys. The morphologically identified specimens were subjected to molecular studies. Morphological and COI gene analysis clearly confirmed the occurrence of H. m. rufipes in Iran, however, according to ITS2 fragment H. m. rufipes can be the same H. m. marginatum. Thus, it seems that based on most popular molecular markers, H. m. rufipes and its relative H. m. marginatum really should be assigned as a polymorphic species H. marginatum.