A Field Survey of Questing Hard Ticks in Xinjiang, China

Xinjiang, located in Northwest China, is characterized by diverse terrain and climates,  which provides suitable habitats for many different tick species. To clarify the species composition, distribution, ecological adaptation and phylogenetic relationships of ticks in this region, questing ticks were collected. Morphological identification combined with COI gene sequence analysis was used for species identification and phylogenetic analysis. A total of 836 adult ticks were collected, belonging to three species: Dermacentor marginatus, Hyalomma asiaticum and Rhipicephalus turanicus. COI gene sequence confirmed identification accuracy. Phylogenetic analysis showed D. marginatus formed two clades as Central Asia-China Xinjiang and Europe-West Asia, R. turanicus from Xinjiang, Central Asia and the Middle East clustered into one monophyletic clade, and H. asiaticum formed a monophyletic clade without obvious geographical differentiation. The three species showed obvious niche differentiation related to habitat and host. The close phylogenetic affinity between Xinjiang and neighboring Central Asian tick populations highlights the need for cross-border tick research. This study may provide basic data for tick and tick-borne disease control in Xinjiang and a reference for tick-borne pathogen research.