First finding of the tick Amblyomma tigrinum parasitizing a Molina’s hog-nosed skunk, Conepatus chinga (Molina 1782), in South America

Abstract

Adult individuals of Amblyomma tigrinum were collected for the first time from a Molina´s hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus chinga), captured in a rural area of north-central Chile, which were described and identified morphologically. There are scarce studies that address the role of the skunk as ectoparasite host; however, the great plasticity of A. tigrinum to inhabit different environments and its strict to moderate specificity for Carnivora order suggest this mephitid as a potentially suitable host for this tick species.