Amblyomma hebraeum

South African bont tick
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Subclass: Acari
Superorder: Parasitiformes
Order: Ixodida
Family: Ixodidae
Subfamily: Amblyomminae
Genus: Amblyomma
Species: Amblyomma hebraeum
Koch, 1844

Amblyomma hebraeum, commonly known as the South African bont tick, is a species of hard tick that is native to southern Africa. They are sexually dimorphic.

Description

The scutum and alloscutum of the male is dappled in various shades and colours. The female's scutum is dappled but the alloscutum is solid black. The alloscutum in both sexes is fringed by prominent festoons. The legs are swarthy or reddish, and paler at the joints.[1]

Range

The species is native to eastern and northern South Africa, Swaziland, eastern Botswana, the greater part of Zimbabwe and southern Mozambique.[1] To the north and in Madagascar, the species is replaced by the tropical bont tick, with which it locally overlaps.

Disease vector

The nymph and adult stages are vectors for Heartwater disease which affects various species of domesticated ruminants.[2][3] Some wild ruminants are susceptible to the disease and suffer from clinical heartwater, but others are highly resistant.[1] The ticks remain infective for life, but their infection rates vary according to the season and region where they occur. In South Africa 1 to 7 percent of ticks are infected at any one time.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Heartwater: Epidemiology". African Veterinary Information Portal (AfriVIP). University of Pretoria. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  2. ↑ du Preez, Jan (4 April 2008). "Hartwater: Voorkoms, behandeling en voorkoming". Landbou.com. Vra vir Faffa. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  3. ↑ Turton, Jenny. "Bosluis-oordraagbare siektes by herkouers". Direktoraat Kommunikasie. National Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
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