Argas hermanni Audouin (Acari: Argasidae), a new member of Iranian tick fauna

Argas reflexus group includes argasid ticks associated with bird species. We found adults of an Argas species within the houses near to domestic pigeon nests in Lorestan province, western Iran. Primarily, the specimens were recognized as A. hermanni Audouin, 1827 based on described morphological characters. The traditional taxonomic decision was supported by BLAST analysis of the mitochondrial nucleotide sequences. DNA barcoding approach can verify morphological identification of tick species. This study is the first Iranian record of A. hermanni, supported by DNA sequence evidences.