Range expansion of the tick Amblyomma triguttatum triguttatum, an Australian vector of Q fever

The tick Amblyomma triguttatum triguttatum has previously been reported fro m Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales. A viable population of this species, including all developmental stages, has now been discovered on the southern end of Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. Species determinat ion was carried out morphologically and using 18S and 16S rRNA. The data fo r 16S rRNA are the first published for this species. Amblyomma t. triguttat um is significant through its involvement in the natural, Australian cycle of Coxiella burnetti, the pathogen causing Q fever. The environment of York e Peninsula contains all of the components required for a natural Q fever c ycle and three cases of this disease have been reported from this area sinc e 1995. These findings reinforce the need to put in place effective mechani sms to monitor parasite distributions at a time of large scale global chang e. (C) 2000 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.