Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-5xszh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T10:23:58.856Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Ecological studies of larval ticks in South Africa (Acarina: Ixodidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

J. G. H. Londt
Affiliation:
Tick Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
G. B. Whitehead
Affiliation:
Tick Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa

Extract

The distribution of larval ticks in relation to vegetation cover was studied on two coastal farms in the Port Alfred district of the Cape Province. The following five species were found: Boophilus decoloratus (Koch), Amblyomma hebraeum Koch, Ixodes pilosus Koch, Haemaphysalis silacea Robinson and Rhipicephalus evertsi Neumann. B. decoloratus predominated in short protected vegetation, I. pilosus and H. silacea in short covered vegetation and A. hebraeum in medium-to-tall protected vegetation. R. evertsi was collected in too small numbers to allow any correlation to be established. Both I. pilosus and H. silacea demonstrated activity peaks during the winter months. Microclimatic measurements indicated that larval ticks were not usually collected in microhabitats which experienced midday saturation deficits in excess of approximately 10 mm Hg. Behavioural studies on larval ticks climbing glass rods demonstrated the possible association of larvae with a definite vegetation height. The optimal vegetation heights were correlated with field data. The water balance of some tick species was studied and it was found that at 26 °C a relative humidity of 70% or more (i.e. above 7·53 mm Hg saturation deficit) was required by these larvae. Larvae lost water to the atmosphere at humidities lower than this value and took up water vapour from the atmosphere at values higher than 70% R.H. They were shown to be able to imbibe water through the mouthparts, and this possibly has survival value.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1972

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arthur, D. R., (1962). Ticks and disease. London: Pergamon Press.Google Scholar
Beament, J. W. L. (1959). The waterproofing mechanism of arthropods. I. The effect of temperature on cuticle permeability in terrestrial insects and ticks. Journal of Experimental Biology 36, 391422.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hitchcock, L. F. (1955). Studies on the non-parasitic stages of the cattle tick Boophilus microplus (Canestrini) (Acarina: Ixodidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 3, 295311.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kraft, M. K. (1961). Studies on the effects of microclimates on the distribution of larval ticks in the Eastern Cape Province. M.Sc. Thesis (T 909) held at Rhodes University Library, Grahamstown. Unpublished.Google Scholar
Lees, A. D. (1946). The water balance in Ixodes ricinus L. and certain other species of ticks. Parasitology 37, 120.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lees, A. D. (1948). The sensory physiology of the sheep tick, Ixodes ricinus L. Journal of Experimental Biology 25, 7489.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lees, A. D. & Milne, A. (1951). The seasonal and diurnal activities of individual sheep ticks (Ixodes ricinus L.). Parasitology 41, 189208.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lewis, I. J. (1970). Observations on the dispersal of larvae of the cattle tick Boophilus microplus (Can.). Bulletin of Entomological Research 59, 595604.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lounsbury, C. P. (1899). The Bont Tick, Amblyomma hebraeum Koch, its life history and habits. Agricultural Journal of the Cape of Good Hope 15, 728743.Google Scholar
Petersen, A., (1953). A Manual of Entomological Techniques. Michigan: Edwards Brothers.Google Scholar
Schütte, K. H. & King, W. H. (1965). A rapid and simple method for measuring the evaporating power of the air. Journal of South African Botany 31, 127131.Google Scholar
Solomon, M. E. (1957). Estimation of humidity with cobalt thiocyanate papers. Bulletin of Entomological Research 48, 489506.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stampa, S. (1959). Tick paralysis in the Karoo areas of South Africa. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 28, 169228.Google Scholar
Stampa, S., (1969). The control of Ixodes rubicundus Neumann (1904) by alteration of its environment. In The Biology and Control of Ticks in Southern Africa, pp. 175–82. The proceedings of a symposium held at Rhodes University, Grahamstown.Google Scholar
Theiler, G. (1962). The Ixodoidea parasites of vertebrates in Africa south of the Sahara (Ethiopian Region). Project S. 9958. Report to the Director of Veterinary Services, Onderstepoort.Google Scholar
Theiler, G. (1969). Factors influencing the existence and the distribution of ticks. In The Biology and Control of Ticks in Southern Africa, pp. 1736. The proceedings of a symposium held at Rhodes University, Grahamstown.Google Scholar
Wigglesworth, V. B., (1965). The Principles of Insect Physiology. London: Methuen.Google Scholar
Wilkinson, P. R. & Wilson, J. T. (1959). Survival of cattle ticks in central Queensland pastures. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 10, 129–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar