Ornithodoros sawaii (Acari: Ixodida: Argasidae) collected from nest soil/litter of Synthliboramphus antiquus, Synthliboramphus wumizusume, and nest soil/litter and nestlings of Hydrobates monorhis on Gugul and Sogugul Islands, Jeollanam Province, Republic of Korea

Abstract The 65th Medical Brigade and Medical Department Activity-Korea, in collaboration with the Migratory Birds Research Center, National Park Research Institute, conducted a migratory bird tick-borne disease surveillance program on Gugul and Sogugul Islands, two small, remote, uninhabited islands in southwestern Jeollanam Province, Republic of Korea (ROK) from 2015–2016. Ticks were collected from nest soil/litter of the Ancient Murrelet, Synthliboramphus antiquus, Japanese Murrelet, Synthliboramphus wumizusume, and Swinhoe's Storm Petrel, Hydrobates monorhis, using Tullgren funnels. A total of 100 Ornithodoros sawaii (25 females, 56 males, 17 nymphs, and 2 larvae) were collected from 2/33 (6.1%) Ancient Murrelet, 3/11 (27.3%) Japanese Murrelet, and 23/94 (24.5%) Swinhoe's Storm Petrel nest sites. In addition, 3 larvae were collected from Swinhoe's Storm Petrel nestlings. Ticks were identified morphologically and species determination was confirmed using polymerase chain reaction techniques. This is th...