Ixodes nipponensis Kitaoka and Saito and Amblyomma testudinarium Koch (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae) Collected from Reptiles (lizards, skinks, and snakes) in the Republic of Korea, 2016

A survey of reptile-associated ticks was conducted from March–October 2016 to determine their relative abundance, stage of development, and geographic and host distributions among lizards, skinks, and snakes in the Republic of Korea. A total of 30 lizards (3 species), 5 skinks (1 species), and 63 snakes (10 species) were collected. A total of 66 ixodid ticks belonging to two species (Ixodes nipponensis and Amblyomma testudinarium) were collected from 11/30 (36.7%) lizards, 2/5 skinks (40.0%), and 6/63 snakes (9.5%). Ixodes nipponensis was collected only from lizards and skinks, while A. testudinarium was collected only from snakes. The Amur Grass lizard, Takydromus amurensis, had the highest tick index (3.0) (total number ticks/total number hosts) among lizards and skinks, while the Short-tailed Mamushi (Viperidae), Gloydius brevicaudus, had the highest tick index (0.57) among snakes. Ixodes nipponensis larvae and nymphs accounted for 46.4% and 53.6% of all ticks collected from lizards and skinks, respectively, while only A. testudinarium nymphs were collected from snakes. Nymphs of both species of ticks were collected from lizards, skinks, and snakes from March-September, while I. nipponensis larvae were collected only from June-September. Ixodes nipponensis larvae and nymphs were preferentially attached on the foreleg axillae (66.1%), followed by lateral trunk (23.2%) and head and near the eye (10.7%) of lizards and skinks. None of the ticks collected from lizards, skinks or snakes were positive for severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV).