The Population Structure of an Australian Reptile Tick, Aponomma Hydrosauri (Acari: Ixodidae): I. Evidence from an esterase polymorphism

Abstract

An esterase polymorphism was discovered in male APONOMMA HYDROSAURI attached to Sleepy Lizards (Trachydosaurus rugosus) in the upper Yorke Peninsula and the Murray Mallee districts of South Australia. Data suggest that the polymorphism is controlled by 2 alleles at a single locus. The geographical distribution of allele frequencies does not support the hypothesis that small inbreeding tick populations are associated with individual lizard home ranges. However, in the Murray Mallee area there was marked heterogeneity in allele frequencies between adjacent regions, suggesting that there may be barriers to dispersal.