Ticks associated with the three largest wild ruminant species in southern Africa

The objective of this study was to assess the host status of the three largest southern African wild ruminants, namely giraffes, Giraffa camelopardalis, African buffaloes, Syncerus caffer, and eland, Taurotragus oryx for ixodid ticks. To this end recently acquired unpublished data are added here to already published findings on the tick burdens of these animals, and the total numbers and species of ticks recorded on 12 giraffes, 18 buffaloes and 36 eland are summarized and discussed. Twenty-eight ixodid tick species were recovered. All stages of development of ten species, namely Amblyomma hebraeum, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus, Haemaphysalis silacea, Ixodes pilosus group, Margaropus winthemi, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi, Rhipicephalus glabroscutatum, Rhipicephalus maculatus and Rhipicephalus muehlensi were collected. The adults of 13 species, of which the immature stages use small mammals as hosts, namely Haemaphysalis aciculifer, Hyalomma glabrum, Hyalomma marginatum rufipes, Hyalomma truncatum, Ixodes rubicundus, Rhipicephalus capensis, Rhipicephalus exophthalmos, Rhipicephalus follis, Rhipicephalus gertrudae, Rhipicephalus lounsburyi, Rhipicephalus lunulatus, Rhipicephalus pravus group and Rhipicephalus simus, were also collected.     

Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) collected from animals in three western, semi-arid nature reserves in South Africa

The objective of this study was to make an inventory of the ixodid tick species infesting wild animals in three western, semi-arid nature reserves in South Africa. To this end 22 animals in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, 10 in the West Coast National Park and 16 in the Karoo National Park were examined. Fourteen tick species were recovered, of which Hyalomma truncatum, Rhipicephalus exophthalmos and Rhipicephalus glabroscutatum were each present in two reserves and the remainder only in one. The distributions of two of the 14 tick species recovered, namely Rhipicephalus capensis and Rhipicephalus neumanni, are virtually confined to the western semi-arid regions of southern Africa. Hyalomma truncatum, R. capensis and R. glabroscutatum were the most numerous of the ticks recovered, and eland, Taurotragus oryx, were the most heavily infested with the former two species and gemsbok, Oryx gazella, and mountain reedbuck, Redunca fulvorufula, with R. glabroscutatum.     

Diversity,seasonality and sites of attachment of adult ixodid ticks on dogs in the central region of the Free State Province,South Africa

Several surveys of ticks infesting dogs belonging to owners in resource-limited and more affluent communities have been conducted in South Africa, but no such investigation has been carried out in the Free State Province of this country. The present study was initiated to meet this shortcoming. Ticks were collected from dogs at six localities in, and to the east of the city of Bloemfontein in the central region of the province. Three of these localities could be classed as resource-limited and two as affluent, while the sixth locality was an animal shelter serving all members of the public. Adult ticks belonging to nine ixodid tick species were collected, of which Rhipicephalus sanguineus was the most numerous. Significantly more R. sanguineus was collected from dogs at resource-limited than at more affluent localities. The greatest proportions of these ticks attached to the backs and necks of the dogs, with the proportions being larger in long-haired than in short-haired dogs. Most R. sanguineus were collected during the warmer months particularly from January to April. The greatest proportions of Haemaphysalis leachi, the next most numerous species, were also collected from the backs and the necks of the dogs. Most of these were present during the period September to November.     

Fleas of elephant shrews (Mammalia, Macroscelididae) and a new host and locality record for Macroscelidopsylla albertyni De Meillon & Marcus, 1958 (Siphonaptera, Chimaeropsyllidae)

Fleas collected from the elephant shrews Elephantulus edwardii (A. Smith, 1839) in the Western Cape Province, Elephantulus myurus Thomas & Schwann, 1906 in Free State Province, and an Elephantulus of undetermined species in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa are recorded in this paper. Five flea species were recovered of which Demeillonia granti (Rothschild, 1904) was the most numerous and prevalent. It was followed by Macroscelidopsylla albertyni De Meillon & Marcus, 1958, collected only from E. edwardii. Both this elephant shrew and the locality are new records for M. albertyni. Chiastopsylla octavii (Rothschild, 1904), Listropsylla agrippinae (Rothschild, 1904), and a female flea of the Ctenocephalides felis group were accidental infestations. The sex ratio of D. granti was 0.86 on both male and female elephant shrews, while that of M. albertyni on E. edwardii was 0.83.     

Hosts,seasonal occurrence and life cycle of Rhipicentor nuttalli (Acari: Ixodidae)

There are only two species worldwide within the genus Rhipicentor, namely Rhipicentor bicornis and Rhipicentor nuttalli and both occur only in Africa. Rhipicentor nuttali has a widespread distribution in South Africa and the present investigation was initiated to elucidate its host preference, seasonality and life cycle. Rock elephant shrews, Elephantulus myurus were examined for ticks at four localities in the Free State Province, one in Gauteng Province and two in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Cape elephant shrews, Elephantulus edwardii were examined at two places in the Western Cape Province, and a single specimen of the bushveld elephant shrew, Elephantulus intufi was examined in central Namibia. Small mammals of other species were also examined at two of these localities. The majority of E. myurus at two sites in the Free State, at the locality in Gauteng and both sites in Limpopo Province were infested with larvae and/or nymphs of R. nuttalli, while the single E. edwardii examined at one site in the Western Cape Province and the single E. intufi examined in Namibia were infested with nymphs of this tick. Not one of the other small animals was infested. Although larvae and nymphs of R. nuttalli were present on E. myurus throughout the year, the former were generally most numerous during the period March to September, and the latter during May to October. The preferred hosts of the adults are domestic dogs, leopards, Panthera pardus and South African hedgehogs, Atelerix frontalis. Adult females engorged on Atelerix frontalis in 16-32 days and, after a preoviposition period of 2-4 days, produced approximately 170,00 eggs during the following 60-70 days. The average incubation period of the eggs was 59 days. Larvae engorged on E. myurus in 4-10 days and moulted to nymphs 12-20 days later. Nymphs required 11-15 days to engorge on E. myurus and moulted to adults 32-47 days later. Allowing 14 days for the exoskeletons and mouthparts of each of the three parasitic stages to harden before they can attach to a host, the life cycle took approximately 214 days to complete in the laboratory. The length of this period, considered in conjunction with the times of maximum seasonal occurrence of the immature stages, indicates that the life cycle probably takes a year to complete in the field.     

Parasites of domestic and wild animals in South Africa. XXXVIII. Ixodid ticks collected from 23 wild carnivore species

Ixodid ticks were collected from 104 wild carnivores belonging to 23 species in various nature reserves and on several farms in all nine provinces of South Africa. Seven feral cats in a nature reserve were also examined. Twenty-four tick species belonging to seven genera were recovered and identified. Amongst these ticks we consider the adults of Haemaphysalis leachi, Haemaphysalis spinulosa, Haemaphysalis zumpti, Ixodes rubicundus, Rhipicentor nuttalli, Rhipicephalus simus and Rhipicephalus turanicus to be true parasites of wild carnivores. Although numerous adult Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and Rhipicephalus zambeziensis were collected from some lions these were either sick or old animals. The immature stages of seven species regularly utilized wild carnivores as hosts on an opportunistic basis.