Amblyomma ovale.

Amblyomma ovale is a Neotropical tick widely distributed from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. It has been confirmed in most American countries, except for Canada, the United States, Chile, Uruguay, and the Caribbean islands, excluding Trinidad and Tobago. Sporadic records in these later countries likely represent accidental introductions. This three-host tick occurs primarily in ecosystems with high humidity, such as the Amazon and Atlantic rainforest. Adults commonly parasitize wild large mammals, dogs, and may bite humans. Immature stages feed mainly on small mammals (rodents, marsupials) but also infest birds. A. ovale is the vector of Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest (SAR), the agent of an emerging spotted fever group rickettsiosis. It may also transmit Hepatozoon canis to dogs. Its wide geographic range, host versatility, and zoonotic potential highlight its importance in the eco-epidemiology of tick-borne diseases throughout Central and South America.