[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":56},["ShallowReactive",2],{"im-2026-10-1215_stevenson_etal_2026":3},{"_path":4,"_dir":5,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":8,"description":7,"date":9,"doi":10,"journal":11,"issue":12,"pagination":13,"zoobank":14,"authors":15,"download":31,"revised":7,"supplementary":32,"keywords":34,"categories":39,"references":42,"abstract":43,"body":44,"_type":50,"_id":51,"_source":52,"_file":53,"_stem":54,"_extension":55},"\u002Finsecta_mundi\u002F2026\u002F10\u002F1215_stevenson_etal_2026","10",false,"","Discovery of the relapsing fever tick (\u003Ci>Ornithodoros turicata americanus\u003C\u002Fi> Marx) (Acari: Argasidae) in Georgia, USA","2026-10-30","https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.64338\u002Fim.1215.yxeok","Insecta Mundi","1215","1-10","urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A9ED9012-B2C0-4115-8BD6-BD62B002F3FF",[16,21,26],{"first_name":17,"last_name":18,"affiliation":19,"email":20},"Dirk J.","Stevenson","Altamaha Environmental Consulting, 414 Club Drive, Hinesville, GA 31313","dstevenson@altamahaec.com",{"first_name":22,"last_name":23,"affiliation":24,"email":25},"Lance A.","Durden","Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, 4324 Old Register Road, Statesboro, Georgia 30458","ldurden@georgiasouthern.edu",{"first_name":27,"last_name":28,"affiliation":29,"email":30},"Lance","Andrew","Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville, Georgia 31061","lancejandrew@gmail.com","https:\u002F\u002Fdrive.google.com\u002Ffile\u002Fd\u002F1r0_VGRMaYeZtMYMAWyBVCCaUEXb5ZBIH",[33],{"label":7,"url":7},[35,36,37,38],"Feral swine (or wild pigs)","gopher tortoise commensal","sandhill","African swine fever",[40,41],"Acari","Argasidae",null,"We report the first Georgia, USA, records for the relapsing fever tick, \u003Ci>Ornithodoros turicata americanus\u003C\u002Fi> Marx, a gopher tortoise (\u003Ci>Gopherus polyphemus\u003C\u002Fi> Daudin) burrow commensal and proven vector for human relapsing fever spirochetes and African Swine Fever Virus. During May–June 2026, we documented \u003Ci>O. t. americanus\u003C\u002Fi> at 14 sites (in 8 counties) located in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of southeastern Georgia. These collections extend the known range of the tick from northeastern Florida 118 km to the north. We surveyed for \u003Ci>O. t. americanus\u003C\u002Fi> by scooping, then sifting, sand from inside active adult tortoise burrows. At sites where we found \u003Ci>O. t. americanus\u003C\u002Fi>, ticks were present in 68\u002F127 (53.5%) of burrows sampled. We collected 252 \u003Ci>O. t. americanus\u003C\u002Fi> comprised of 27 males, 37 females, 184 nymphs and 4 larvae. Based on negative survey data, the northern range limit for \u003Ci>O. t. americanus\u003C\u002Fi> are sand ridges associated with the Altamaha River. \u003Ci>Ornithodoros turicata americanus\u003C\u002Fi> may also occur in southcentral and southwestern Georgia, and we recommend further gopher tortoise burrow surveys targeting this tick in these regions.",{"type":45,"children":46,"toc":47},"root",[],{"title":7,"searchDepth":48,"depth":48,"links":49},2,[],"markdown","content:insecta_mundi:2026:10:1215_Stevenson_etal_2026.md","content","insecta_mundi\u002F2026\u002F10\u002F1215_Stevenson_etal_2026.md","insecta_mundi\u002F2026\u002F10\u002F1215_Stevenson_etal_2026","md",1793358561602]