Larva, Nymph, and Life Cycle of Ornithodoros (Alectorobius) muesebecki (Ixodoidea: Argasidae), a Virus-Infected Parasite of Birds and Petroleum Industry Employees in the Arabian Gulf1

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Abstract
The larva and nymphal instars 1 to 4 of Ornithodoros (Alectorobius) muesebecki Hoogstraal are described from a population infesting cormorants and ospreys on Zirqa Island (Kingdom of Abu Dhabi) in the Arabian Gulf. Adults of this species were originally recorded from a booby colony on Hasikiya Island (South Yemen Republic) in the Arabian Sea. The larva differs distinctly from that of the related O. (A.) amblus Chamberlain, a parasite of marine birds and human guano diggers in Peru. In the rapid life cycle, the 1st nymphal instar is nonfeeding, males usually molt from the 3rd nymphal instar and females from the 4th instar. On Zirqa Island, this tick is active only during the nesting period of its bird hosts. It eagerly bites humans, causing fever, headache, itch, and erythema. A new arbovirus in the Hughes group isolated from Zirqa Island O, (A.) muesebecki samples is a likely candidate as the cause of these clinical symptoms. This virus is most closely related to another new agent recently isolated from the Punta Salinas (Peru) population of O. (A.) amblus.

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