Hyalomma ticks were collected from Merino and black-headed Dorper sheep and their attachment preferences determined. The preferred site of attachment for Hyalomma marginatum rufipes on both
Dorper and Merino sheep was the anogenital and inguinal areas (75-76%). On Dorper sheep, H. Truncatum attached predominantly to the anogenital and inguinal areas (67,7%). On Merino sheep, most adults of this species attached to the feet (26%). Almost equal percentages also attached to the anogenital/inguinal and brisket areas (21,6 and 22,9%, respectively). These differences should be considered when pour-on acaricides are applied to different breeds of sheep.The articles have been scanned in colour with a HP Scanjet 5590; 600dpi. 
Adobe Acrobat XI Pro was used to OCR the text and also for the merging and conversion to the final presentation PDF-format.mn201

Fourie, L.J.

Kok, D.J.

The articles have been scanned in colour with a HP Scanjet 5590; 600dpi. 
Adobe Acrobat XI Pro was used to OCR the text and also for the merging and conversion to the final presentation PDF-format.Hyalomma ticks were collected from Merino and black-headed Dorper sheep and their attachment preferences determined. The preferred site of attachment for Hyalomma marginatum rufipes on both
Dorper and Merino sheep was the anogenital and inguinal areas (75-76%). On Dorper sheep, H. Truncatum attached predominantly to the anogenital and inguinal areas (67,7%). On Merino sheep, most adults of this species attached to the feet (26%). Almost equal percentages also attached to the anogenital/inguinal and brisket areas (21,6 and 22,9%, respectively). These differences should be considered when pour-on acaricides are applied to different breeds of sheep.mn201

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Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 62:211-213 ( 1995) RESEARCH COMMUNICATION Attachment preferences of Hyalomma truncatum and Hyalomma marginatum rufipes ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) on two sheep breeds LJ. FOURIE and D.J. KOK Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Orange Free State P. 0. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300 South Africa ABSTRACT FOURIE, L.J. & KOK, D.J. 1995. Attachment preferences of Hyalomma truncatum and Hyalomma marginatum rufipes ticks (Acari : Ixodidae) on two sheep breeds. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 62:211-213 Hyalomma ticks were collected from Merino and black-headed Dorper sheep and their attachment preferences determined. The preferred site of attachment for Hyalomma marginatum rufipes on both Dorper and Merino sheep was the anogenital and inguinal areas (75-76%) . On Dorper sheep, H. trun-catum attached predominantly to the anogenital and inguinal areas (67 ,7%). On Merino sheep, most adults of this species attached to the feet (26%). Almost equal percentages also attached to the ana-genital/inguinal and brisket areas (21 ,6 and 22,9%, respectively). These differences should be consid-ered when pour-on acaricides are applied to different breeds of sheep. Keywords: Attachment preferences, Hyalomma truncatum, Hyalomma marginatum rufipes, sheep, ticks INTRODUCTION The results of four studies on ticks infesting sheep in South Africa showed that 25 tick species, belong-ing to eight genera, can infest these animals (Fourie, Horak & Marais 1988; Walker 1990; Horak, Williams & Van Schalkwyk 1991; Horak & Fourie 1992). Only eight species are considered to be of veterinary and economic importance (Fourie eta/. 1988; Walker 1990). These are Amblyomma hebraeum, which can trans-mit Cowdria ruminantium, the cause of heartwater in sheep, goats and cattle (Howell, Walker & Nevill 1983); two Hyalomma spp. which, owing to their large Accepted for publication 17 August 1995-Editor mouthparts, cause wounds that may be invaded ei-ther by bacteria, resulting in the formation of absces-ses, lameness and footrot, or by the larvae of the screwworm, Chrysomya bezziana (Walker 1991 ); Ixo-des rubicundus and Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi, both of which transmit toxins which can cause par-alysis (Gothe & Bezuidenhout 1986; Fourie, Petney, Horak, & De Jager 1989); Rhipicephalus glabroscu-tatum and Rhipicephalus neumanniwhich can cause foot abscesses and lameness (Maclvor & Horak 1987; Walker 1990), and Rhipicephalus lounsburyi, whose feeding adults are believed to have a deleterious ef-fect on sheep (Walker 1990). Apart from R. evertsi evertsi, Hyalomma marginatum rufipes and Hyalom-ma truncatum are the most widely distributed ticks in South Africa. 211 Attachment preferences of H. truncatum and H. marginatum rufipesticks Chemical control measures currently being employed for the control of ticks on sheep include the belly bath, spraying, plunge-dip and pour-on acaricide treat-ments (Spickett & Fivaz 1992). The latter is perhaps the most popular method in extensive farming sys-tems in view of the ease of application and the fact that it is suitable for both winter and summer sea-sons. Published reports on pour-on acaricide treat-ments for sheep have indicated that the efficacy of the various compounds depends on their concentra-tion, the volume used, the distribution of ticks on the sheep and the site of acaricide application (Hender-son & Stevens 1987; Liebisch & Beder 1988). In South Africa, the recommended site of application for all the pour-on compounds registered for use against the Karoo paralysis tick (/. rubicundus) is the ventral aspect of the sheep, where this tick gener-ally attaches. Interspecific differences in the attach-ment sites of this tick on various host species have nevertheless been recorded (Fourie & Van Zyl1991 ). Topical application of pour-on compounds, specifi-cally on woolled sheep breeds such as the Merino, is not effective (Fourie, unpublished data 1991 ). Published data on the attachment sites of Hyalomma spp. on different sheep breeds, are lacking. The aim of this study was to determine the preferred attach-ment sites of H. marginatum rufipes and H. trunca-tum on black-headed Dorper and Merino sheep. This would enable the efficacy of pour-on compounds to be maximized by applying them on or close to body areas where most of the ticks attach. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was conducted on the farm Preezfontein, near Fauresmith in the south-western Free State, South Africa. Ticks were collected from Merino (n = 20) and black-headed Dorper (n = 20) sheep at ap-proximately 14-day intervals from January 1992 to December 1994. Ticks were also collected from 1 0-30 Merino sheep at 14-day intervals from Septem-ber 1993 to January 1994 on the farm Welbekend in the Jagersfontein area, south-western Free State. A single collection of ticks on about 40 black-headed Dorper sheep was done during April1995 on the farm Sandtfontein near the town of Petrusville in the North-ern Cape. The ages of the sheep from which ticks were sampled varied from 8-36 months. Ticks were loca-ted on nine body regions by careful visual exami-nation, removed from each with forceps and placed in labelled vials for later identification and quanti-fication. The data are expressed as percentages. No distinc-tion was made between male and female ticks. The sites of attachment of the two Hyalomma species, both within and between sheep breeds, were com-pared with the aid of a binomial test for proportions. 212 RESULTS A total of 21 03 Hyalomma ticks (907 H. marginatum rufipes and 1196 H. truncatum) were collected from the sheep. The percentage attachment of these two species on the various body regions is summarized in Table 1. In general, the differences in thei r sites of attachment varied significantly both within and be-tween the two sheep breeds. The preferred site of attachment for H. marginatum rufipes on both Dorper and Merino sheep was the anogenital and inguinal areas (75-76%) followed by the hindleg (16%) for Dorper, and brisket (13,6%) for Merino sheep. On Dorper sheep, H. truncatum attached predominantly to the anogen ital and inguinal areas (63,7%) follow-ed by the feet (7,6%). On Merino sheep most H. trun-catumticks attached to the feet (26%) . Almost equal percentages attached to the anogenital/inguinal and brisket areas (21 ,6 and 22,9%, respectively). DISCUSSION Several studies have already shown that interspecific differences in attachment sites for ticks exist between various breeds of domestic hosts (Evans 1952; Fou-rie & Van Zyl1991) and between domestic hosts and natural hosts (Bloemer, Zimmerman & Fairbanks 1988). It has been inferred that the nature of the host pelage may influence the attachment-site preference of individual tick species (Fourie & Van Zyl1 991 ), as may the seasons (Evans 1952). Our results indicate that, especially in the case of H. truncatum, major differences exist between its attachment-site prefer-ences in Dorper and Merino sheep. These differences should be considered when pour-on acaricides are applied to sheep of different breeds. The effects of season and host age on the sites of attachment of Hyalomma ticks to sheep should also be ascertained to maximize control efforts . REFERENCES BLOEMER, S.R., ZIMMERMAN, R.H. & FAIRBANKS, K. 1988. Abundance, attachment sites, and density estimators of Lone Star ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting white-tailed deer. Journal of Medical Entomology, 25:295-300. EVANS, G.O. 1952. The distribution of Ixodes ricinus (L.) on the body of cattle and sheep. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 41 :709-723. FOURIE, L.J., HORAK, I.G. & MARAIS, L. 1988. The seasonal abundance of adult ixodid ticks on Merino sheep in the south-western Orange Free State. Journal of the South African Vet-erinary Association, 59 :191-194. FOURIE, L.J. , PETNEY, TN., HORAK, I.G. & DE JAGER, C. 1989. Seasonal incidence of Karoo paralysis in relation to the infes-tation density of female Ixodes rubicundus. Veterinary Parasi-tology, 33:319-328. FOURIE, L.J . & VAN ZYL, J.M. 1991. Interspecific variations in attachment sites and density assessment in female Ixodes rubicundus (Acari: Ixodidae) on domestic and natural hosts. Ex-perimental and Applied Acarology, 13:1-1 0. L.J. FOURIE & D.J. KOK TABLE 1 Percentage attachment of Hyalomma marginatum rufipes and Hyalomma truncatumticks to various body regions of two sheep breeds. Groups divided by a solidus (for a particular attachment site) are not significantly different Group Head/neck Anogenital/ Brisket inguinal H. marginatum rufipes 1. Dorper 0,0 76,1 3,1 2. Merino 0,5 75,6 13,6 H. truncatum 3. Dorper 0,2 63,7 6,0 4. Merino 0,5 21 ,6 22,9 Statistical analysis a 1/2 c a No statistical analysis conducted (sample sizes too small) b Excluded from statistical analysis c All groups significantly different {P< 0,05) GOTH E. R. & BEZUIDENHOUT, J.D. 1986. Studies on the ability of different strains or populations of female Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi(Acarina: Ixodidae) to produce paralysis in sheep. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research-, 53:19-24. HENDERSON, D. & STEVENS, D.P. 1987. Cypermethrin pour-on for the control of ticks (Ixodes ricinus) on sheep. The Veterinary Record, 121 :317- 319. HORAK, I. G. & FOURIE, L.J. 1992. Parasites of domestic and wild animals in South Africa. XXXI. Adult ixodid ticks on sheep in the Cape province and the Orange Free State. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 59:275-283. HORAK, I.G., WILLIAMS, E.J . & VAN SCHALKWYK, P.C. 1991 . Parasites of domestic and wild animals in South Africa. XXV. Ixodid ticks on sheep in the north-eastern Orange Free State and in the eastern Cape Province. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 58:115-123. HOWELL, C.J. , WALKER, J.B. & NEVILL, E.M. 1983. Ticks, mites and insects infesting domestic animals in South Africa. I. De-scriptions and biology. Department of Agricultural Technical Ser-vices, Republic of South Africa (Science Bulletin, no. 393, V). Front leg Hind leg Udder Belly Flank Feet 0,4 16,0 2,1 1,5 0,0 0,8 2,6 2,1 2,1 O,Ob 0,2 3,3 0,9 0,1 6,9 3,2 0,2 7,6 18,1 5,1 5,0 0,8 0,0 26,0 1/3; 2/3 c 1 /3; 3/4 1/3; 1/4 a c LIEBISCH, A. & SEDER, G. 1988. The control of ticks (Ixodidae: Dermacentor marginatus) in sheep with Flumethrin 1 %pour-on. Veterinary and Medical Review, 59:9-17. MAc iVOR, K.M. DE F. & HORAK, I. G. 1987. Foot abscess in goats in relation to the seasonal abundance of adult Amblyomma hebraeum and adult Rhipicephalus glabroscutatum (Acari: Ixodidae) . Journal of the South African Veterinary Association, 58:113-118. SPICKETT, A.M. & FIVAZ, B. H. 1992.Asurvey of smal l stock tick control practices in the eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 59:190-201. WALKER, J.B. 1990. Two new species of ticks from southern Africa whose adults parasitize the feet of ungulates: Rhipicephalus lounsburyin. sp. and Rhipicephalus neumannin. sp. (Ixodoidea, Ixodidae) . Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research , 57: 57-75. WALKER, J.B. 1991. A review of the ixodid ticks (Acari, Ixodidae) occurring in southern Africa. Onderstepoort Journal of Veteri-nary Research, 58:81 - 1 05. 213 

Attachment preferences of Hyalomma truncatum and Hyalomma marginatum rufipes ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) on two sheep breeds

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Attachment preferences of Hyalomma truncatum and Hyalomma marginatum rufipes ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) on two sheep breeds

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