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Conference Agenda

Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).

Daily Overview

Session

Import to your local calendar

CP13.1: Ticks, Mites, kissing bugs 5 min talks

Time:

Wednesday, 01/July/2026:

2:30pm - 2:45pm

Session Chair: Katja Fischer, QIMR Berghofer
Session Chair: Xavier Barton, Murdoch University

Location: Lecture Theatre 3

Boulevard Room 1

Presentations

Phylogeography and genetic structure of Haemaphysalislongicornis (Asian longhorned tick)

Zainab Umar Abdullahi¹, Dieter Bulach², Joanne M. Devlin¹, Glenn F. Browning¹

¹Asia-Pacific Centre for Animal Health, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; ²National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia

The invasive tick Haemaphysalis longicornis is an important vector of veterinary and
public health significance and has expanded beyond its native Asian range into Australia,
Western Pacific Islands, and the USA. Despite its growing biosecurity importance, the
global phylogeographic structure of this species remains unknown. This study
investigated the evolutionary relationships and population structure of H.
longicornis using 1,396 cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI). Sequences represented
native populations from China, Japan, South Korea, and Russia, and invaded populations
from Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Pakistan, and the USA. A total of 166 haplotypes
were identified, with high haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.88). Haplotype network and
phylogenetic analyses identified two major lineages: a cosmopolitan lineage shared
between native and invaded regions, and a second lineage restricted to Asia. Population
genetic analyses demonstrated contrasting levels of genetic differentiation within and
among countries, including high differentiation between Korea and the USA (FST =
0.73), while the lowest differentiation occurred between China and Korea (FST = 0.06).
The cosmopolitan lineage displayed a star-like topology, suggesting demographic
expansion and dispersal into invaded regions. These findings provide new insights into
the invasion events, dispersal pathways, and evolutionary structure of H. longicornis.

The Ticks You're Not Seeing: How Seasonality Shapes Tick Detection in Western Australia

Xavier Barton¹, Abdul Ghaffar Qamar¹, Jani Sormunen², Joseph Fontaine³, Charlotte Oskam¹

¹School of Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences, College of Environmental and Life Sciences, Murdoch University; ²Department of Biology, University of Turku; ³School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences, College of Environmental and Life Sciences, Murdoch University

Ticks pose health risks to humans, companion animals and livestock through pathogen transmission, making knowledge of their seasonal activity vital for monitoring tick-borne disease. No studies have investigated the seasonal presence of questing tick species and life stages in Western Australia. This study presents preliminary findings from an ongoing phenological survey (October 2025 to October 2026) across four Swan Coastal Plain sites encompassing banksia woodland and pastoral land. Thirty-two fortnightly flagging sessions were conducted; flags were dragged and inspected at 10 m intervals with specimens morphologically identified to species and instar. All 1,859 ticks collected were Amblyomma triguttatum: larvae 88.2% (n = 1,639), nymphs 11.4% (n = 211) and adults 0.5% (n = 9). A seasonal shift was observed, with nymphs most prevalent in October to November 2025 and larval activity emerging in January 2026, peaking in February (n = 822). Site-level abundance ranged from 3.04 to 9.52 ticks per 100 m. Comparison with iNaturalist data (n = 227 observations, 2023 to 2025) revealed a spring-biased, adult-dominated reporting pattern, contrasting with flagging results where adults were largely absent and late-summer larval emergence was substantial. These findings highlight the value of combining standardised surveys and citizen science in tick phenology studies.

Quantitative Assessment of α‑Gal Production in Ixodes holocyclus Salivary Glands Using Indirect ELISA Methods

Emily Smith^1,2, Alexander Gofton², Raine Mercedes², Stephen Barker³, Andrew Walker¹

¹Institute for Molecular Bioscience, UQ, Australia; ²CSIRO; ³School of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, UQ

Alpha‑gal syndrome (AGS) is a tick bite-induced, IgE‑mediated allergy to the carbohydrate galactose‑α‑1,3‑galactose (α‑Gal), characterised by delayed-onset hypersensitivity to mammalian meat and other mammal‑derived products. AGS occurs globally where ticks bite humans, with Australia experiencing some of the highest rates of AGS prevalence worldwide. Existing studies from North American and European tick species suggest that some ticks can produce α-Gal in their salivary glands, and that expression varies with feeding stage. However, comparable quantitative data are absent for the causative agent of AGS in Australia, the eastern paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus. Little is known about how much α‑Gal I. holocyclus produces in its salivary glands, dynamics of α‑Gal levels during blood feeding, or how host species influence α‑Gal production.

To address this, indirect enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) will be used to quantify α‑Gal levels in I. holocyclus salivary glands across the feeding cycle and between different host species. By generating quantitative profiles of α‑Gal abundance and integrating these with complementary localisation studies, this work aims to establish the first systematic assessment of α‑Gal production dynamics in I. holocyclus. These data will provide critical insight into how tick biology and feeding behaviour shape α‑Gal exposure and AGS risk in Australia.