Identifying ticks of genus Hyalomma using the COI gene from preserved old specimens – a significant approach for controlling zoonotic diseases

Ticks are vectors for a range of human and animal diseases. Accurate species identification is a crucial step for effective pest management, as each species plays host to specific parasites. Species identification based on morphological characteristics is prone to error in cryptic species. Molecular techniques have been used in recent times for accurate species identification; however, few studies are available on Indian tick species. The present study aims to bridge this gap in species identification of Hyalomma ticks from India using conventional morphological and recent molecular methods. We also studied the evolutionary relationships between species using a phylogenetic approach. The study included historical samples (N = 14) representing four species obtained from the National Zoological Collection of the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata. Genetic analysis was done using universal barcoding with COI primers. The results indicate a 99–100% match between the genetic and morphological analyses for the four samples of Hyalomma species collected, i.e. Hyalomma hussaini, Hyalomma aegyptium, Hyalomma kumari and Hyalomma anatolicum. The findings were also supported by phylogenetic and evolutionary tree analyses. The present study is helpful in identifying tick species using integrated approach, interpreting evolutionary relationships between different species, and solving taxonomic problems.