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Migratory birds play an important role in transporting ixodid ticks and tick-borne pathogens between continents. During the Boreal spring, migratory birds reach Europe, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa or from northern African countries but not much is known about the diversity and ecology of the ticks they spread. From 2017 to 2022, in the framework of two consecutive projects focused on sampling migratory birds from Africa to Europe, a total of 27 immature Amblyommaticks were collected from migratory birds, belonging to 8 species, captured on the Island of Ventotene, an important stop-over site in the Mediterranean Sea. In the absence of adult specimens, morphological identification was limited to assigning these ticks to the Amblyommagenus. In this study, sequencing and comparative analysis of three mitochondrial molecular markers (12SrDNA, 16SrDNA, COI) were performed to achieve taxonomic identification. Sequences obtained from Ventotene specimens matched at 100 % identity with Amblyomma sparsum. In conclusion, this study documented that immature stages of this species belonging to the Amblyomma marmoreumcomplex reached the Pontine Islands for six consecutive years. The entry of alien tick species and their potentially transmitted pathogens deserves further study, also in light of the globally ongoing climate change.

The Amblyommagenus is represented on the African continent by 24 species, out of which 17 are known to occur in different ecological niches of southern Africa. Amblyomma, known for their aggressive hunting behaviour and aptitude as pathogen vectors, are of main concern to travellers, mainly in rural and conservation areas of Africa. In this study, we highlight the overlapping distribution of Amblyomma eburneumand Amblyomma variegatumfound on African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer) at Coutada 11, Central Mozambique. In total, 1,039 Amblyommaticks were collected and morphologically identified using taxonomic keys, and genomic DNA was extracted. They were subjected to reverse line blotting for pathogen identification followed by molecular analysis (COIsequencing) of both tick species. Pathogens such as Ehrlichia ruminantium, Anaplasma centrale, Theileriasp., Babesiasp. and Rickettsia africaewere detected, of which R. africaeis zoonotic. Ehrlichia ruminantium, R. africae, Theileria mutansand Theileria veliferaare well-established pathogens transmitted by Amblyommaticks; however, Anaplasmaspp. and Babesiaspp. are not, suggesting residual parasite DNA in the bloodmeal. Little is mentioned in the literature about A. eburneum, including its role as a vector and reservoir for pathogens. In Mozambique A. eburneumis currently restricted to wildlife but the spread of the tick may be observed given the climate change that is occurring. The infection rates for the pathogens in both Amblyommatick species were lower than expected, but this may be due to the low host density in the forest niche and the innate immunity of these hosts. With the propensity of ticks of the Amblyommagenus to form parapatric distributions, the mechanisms that allows for the overlapping distribution of these two Amblyommaspecies while maintaining tick species identity is of great interest.