A new species of the Recent genus Amblyomma (Parasitiformes: Ixodidae) discovered in Dominican amber

Two new fossil hard ticks (Arachnida: Ixodida: Ixodidae) from Dominican amber (Miocene, probably Burdigalian, ca. 16 Ma) are described. An almost fully engorged female and a partly engorged larva were documented by combining light microscopy with high-resolution µCT-scans at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) and 3D modelling of the data. Images of the fossils created from these 3D models facilitated comparisons with living ticks and the new material can be assigned to the Recent genus Amblyomma C.L. Koch, 1844 as Amblyomma arawakan Chitimia-Dobler & Martins sp. nov. The new amber species appears to be most closely related to the extant New World tick Amblyomma auricularium Conil, 1878. Possible hosts for the fossils are discussed within the wider context of their historical biogeography.