Seasonal Variations in Ixodid Tick Populations on a Commercial Game Farm in the Limpopo Province, South Africa

Bradley Schroder,Brian Kevin Reilly

doi:10.5733/afin.054.0212

Abstract

Despite the large number of surveys of ticks that have been carried out, there are almost no recent records of ixodid ticks from the Waterberg area, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Free-living ticks on a commercial game farm in the Thabazimbi District, Limpopo Province, South Africa, were captured via 432 drags in eight sample sites from September 2003 to August 2008. The seasonal variations in occurrence of the ticks and details of their populations on a game farm, are described. Eight tick species have been collected, viz. Amblyomma hebraeum, Haemaphysalis elliptica, Hyalomma rufipes, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus, Rhipicephalus evertsi evert si, Rhipicephalus zambeziensis and Rhipicephalus sp. The most abundant was the blue tick Rh. (B.) decoloratus. The data on the seasonal variations in tick numbers on the game farm can be used to determine the optimal time for applying tick control.

Highlights

Ticks are blood-feeding ectoparasites of mammals, birds, and reptiles throughout the world (Vredevoe 2006) and affect wildlife and domestic animal management globally, with approximately 896 species of ticks having been described (Guglielmone et al 2010).Research on South African ticks commenced nearly 200 years ago and since more than 80 tick species have been identified and documented (Walker 1991).Ticks are important vectors of animal and human pathogens, and certain tick-borne diseases are of major importance throughout the world (Vredevoe 2006)
It is clearly evident that of the eight tick species collected on the game farm during the 5-year study period, seven species were more prevalent during the drier and cooler months
The only species which was more prevalent during the warmer and wetter months was A. hebraeum. This suggests that the best time to implement more stringent acaricide control methods in the study area would be during the drier and cooler months of the year, which would be from April to October annually

Summary

Introduction

Ticks are blood-feeding ectoparasites of mammals, birds, and reptiles throughout the world (Vredevoe 2006) and affect wildlife and domestic animal management globally, with approximately 896 species of ticks having been described (Guglielmone et al 2010). Ticks are important vectors of animal and human pathogens, and certain tick-borne diseases are of major importance throughout the world (Vredevoe 2006). Various blood parasites are transmitted by ticks and some of them are considered to be the major cause of death of some wildlife species Wild animals native to a specific area are seldom affected by the endemic tick-borne blood parasites/pathogens, translocations of hosts and/or ticks into non-endemic areas can result in severe losses amongst native animals

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