Russia Finds Uncommon Tick Species

Moscow, May 22 – Tyumen State University scientists have discovered a new species of herbivorous tick and describe it as unusual for Russia. It was individuals of the open species who were the first to discover representatives of the Linotetranidae family on the territory of our country and in the Far North of Eurasia. The study results have been published in the journal Acarologia.

Researchers at Tyumen State University (Tyumen State University) note that many species of herbivorous ticks are serious pests of crops, especially in greenhouse conditions.

Of particular danger to plants is the so-called spider mite, well known to people who love gardening. They got their name because of their ability to weave a dense web on the surface of plant leaves, which is a refuge for ticks and protection from predators.

Scientists have noticed that spider mites can often infect indoor plants on window sills, getting into apartments and bringing an infected plant. These arthropods are equipped with a special mouth apparatus in the form of long arches, which allows them to easily pierce a leaf and suck out plant sap. Rapidly multiplying, they destroy leaves and stems, thereby reducing the possibility of photosynthesis. This significantly weakens the plant and ultimately leads to its death.

The researchers drew attention to the fact that spider mites and their closest relatives – flat mites – have been actively studied in Russia and the countries of the former USSR, and many studies are devoted to them.

Among the closest relatives of the spider mite, the subject of study for the scientific team – mites of the Linotetranidae family. According to experts, this family is very small and includes only 4 genera and 19 species. Linotetranids are found on all continents except Antarctica, but most species live in warm climates. It is found, for example, in Italy, Turkey and Iran.

He said that during research in Western Siberia, several females of a species new to science were found, which they gave a name to Linotetranus sibiriensis (Siberian linottranus). This species is found in the soil under the dry steppe herbaceous vegetation of the Kurgan region.

“This is the first detection of linottraniids in Russia and far north Eurasia. Most likely, this species feeds on plant roots. Ticks are microscopically small – their body length is just over 300 microns. This is less than half a millimeter, ”Khostov specified.

This study was carried out within the framework of the project “Unstudied and taxonomically complex tick populations – a biologically important component of soil flora for climate change assessment” in accordance with the state assignment of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia. the Union.

Tyumen State University is a participant in the State Program for Strategic Academic Leadership “Priority 2030”.