Mitochondrial COX 1 gene sequence based molecular identification of chelonian tick Amblyomma geoemydae with special prominence on phylogenetic perusal, from Kerala, India.

Abstract Genetic assessment and morphological features of a chelonian tick, Amblyomma geoemydae -Cantor, 1847 were determined for the first time in Kerala. Morphological features of Amblyomma geoemydae nymph were examined and photographed by using a high-quality ZIEZZ (Discovery.V20) microscope. The juvenile tick was identified as Amblyomma geoemydae evincing diverse external characters including the edge of the basis capituli is a round shape without cornua, hypostomal dental formula is 2/2, and the second segment of the palp is longer than the first and third. On the edge of the angular scutum have a pair of slightly convex eyes. The genetic confirmation was scrutinized by using sequences of mt COX1 gene. This investigation revealed the first molecular confirmation of A. geoemydae from Wayanad, Kerala. The evolutionary relationship was examined via neighbor-joining analysis and the phylogenetic tree was constructed through the Maximum Likelihood method. The identified A. geoemydae is genetically associated with some species under the same genera with high sequence similarity including A. marmoreum, A. ovale, and A. naponense. Some other species exhibit more sequence divergence such as A. imitator, and A. humerale. The findings provide evidence of dispersal of Ehrlichia, Francisella, and Borrelia miyamotoi vector have a significant role in Lyme disease and relapsing fever.