Archaeocroton
| Tuatara tick | |
|---|---|
| Female Archaeocroton sphenodonti | |
Relict (NZ TCS) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Ixodida |
| Family: | Ixodidae |
| Genus: | Archaeocroton Dumbleton, 1943 |
| Species: | A. sphenodonti
|
| Binomial name | |
| Archaeocroton sphenodonti (Dumbleton, 1943)
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Tuatara ticks on the body of their host, Sphenodon punctatus
Archaeocroton sphenodonti, or the tuatara tick, is a species of tick that parasitises only the tuatara of New Zealand. It is found on just four of the twelve island groups where tuatara survive, preferring islands where the reptiles live in high densities. Larvae, nymphs, and adults all feed exclusively on tuatara blood, and ticks can survive for up to a year without a host. When tuatara are translocated, the tick has been lost or survives only in low densities in the new population. It is the only living species in the genus Archaeocroton.