Redefining Rhipicephalus sanguineus (sensu lato) species complex in Greece focusing on the mitogenome of Rhipicephalus secundus

<i>Rhipicephalus sanguineus</i> species complex, referred to as <i>R. sanguineus</i> (<i>sensu lato</i>), is distributed globally with some species distributed in specific regions and others spread globally. In Greece, <i>R. sanguineus</i> (<i>s.l.</i>) in dogs, and <i>Rhipicephalus turanicus</i> and <i>Rhipicephalus bursa</i> in livestock, have been repeatedly reported however only based on morphological identification. Recently, there has been a great effort to accurately identify the species belonging to the <i>R. sanguineus</i> species complex, using modern molecular tools and describe their spatial distribution. The aim of this study was to expand the studies on the molecular characterisation of species of the <i>R. sanguineus</i> (<i>s.l.</i>) complex in the Mediterranean region, by molecularly characterising ticks collected from various locations and host species in Greece. Results confirm the presence of <i>Rhipicephalus rutilus</i>, <i>Rhipicephalus secundus</i>, <i>R. bursa</i>, and <i>R. turanicus</i>. The complete mitochondrial genome of <i>R. secundus</i> (approx. 15 kb) from sheep (<i>n</i> = 3) in Greece was sequenced and matched to sequences and morphological data from the type-material from Israel. Additionally, the mitogenome of <i>R. bursa</i> from goats (<i>n</i> = 2) in Greece was sequenced. This study provides a molecular reference for <i>R. secundus</i>, a tick species distributed in the Eastern Mediterranean region.