Amblyomma babirussae Schulze, 1933

Petney, Trevor N., Boulanger, Nathalie, Saijuntha, Weerachai, Chitimia-Dobler, Lidia, Pfeffer, Martin, Eamudomkarn, Chatanun, Andrews, Ross H., Ahamad, Mariana, Putthasorn, Noppadon, Muders, Senta V., Petney, David A. & Robbins, Richard G., 2019, Ticks (Argasidae, Ixodidae) and tick-borne diseases of continental Southeast Asia, Zootaxa 4558 (1), pp. 1-89 : 14-15

Amblyomma babirussae Schulze, 1933

This is usually recorded as a species from montane rainforests in Sulawesi ( Indonesia), where adults occur on artiodactyls and immatures on rodents ( Keirans and Robbins 1987; Petney and Keirans 1995; Guglielmone et al. 2014); however, there is a recent record from Thailand ( Cornet et al. 2009). Unfortunately, these latter authors do not supply information on the number, life history stages or hosts of the specimens collected, and some of the literature used for identification is out of date. Confirmation of the presence of this species in continental Southeast Asia is required before its establishment can be definitely determined. It has been found from sea level to ca. 1,800 m throughout the year ( Keirans and Robbins 1987). Humans can also be attacked ( Keirans and Robbins 1987; Durden and Page 1991).

Durden and Keirans (1996) list this species as potentially endangered because one of its principal hosts, the wild pig Babyrousa celebensis (frequently listed as B. babyrussa , however this taxon has been divided into three separate species; Meijaard and Groves 2002a, b), is listed as threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

All life history stages of this species are described in Keirans and Robbins (1987), and the male, female and nymph by Voltzit and Keirans (2002).