Displacement of Boophilus decoloratus by Boophilus microplus in the Soutpansberg region, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

Boophilus ticks (n = 25,987) were collected from cattle at 30 communal dip tanks and five commercial farms in the Soutpansberg region, Limpopo Province, South Africa, between May 1999 and December 2001. Only 6.6% were Boophilus decoloratus, while 93.4% were Boophilus microplus, a tick that had not been reported from this area previously. B. microplus was the most common Boophilus tick on communal dip tank cattle, while B. decoloratus was more commonly found on commercial farms. Where the two species occurred together, B. microplus tended to displace B. decoloratus. The displacement was almost complete at the communal dip tanks, while on the commercial farms the population change was still in progress at the end of the survey. The present study demonstrated that a postulated reproductive interference was insufficient in preventing B. microplus from spreading when the climatic conditions were favourable to this species, as the displacement in most of the areas appeared to be rapid and complete.

Communal farmers’ perceptions of tick-borne diseases affecting cattle and investigation of tick control methods practiced in Zimbabwe

“…The presence of R. microplus in dry regions has been reported elsewhere in West Africa (Madder et al, 2007), South Africa (Nyangiwe et al, 2013a;Tonnesen et al, 2004), Zambia (Berkvens et al, 1998), East Africa (Lynen et al, 2008) and more recently in Namibia (Nyangiwe et al, 2013b). However, what is noteworthy is the spread of this tick into the interior of the country.…”

The Known Distribution and Ecological Preferences of the Tick Subgenus Boophilus (Acari: Ixodidae) in Africa and Latin America

“…Special attention was paid to B. decoloratus and the African records of B. microplus. The spread of B. microplus in Africa has been already reported for some parts of the continent, replacing B. decoloratus in parts where the climate is suitable for the invader (Tonnesen et al 2004). This procedure will provide with information about the ecological space occupied by both species, and the degree of ecological plasticity of B. microplus in Africa.…”

“…B. decoloratus, which ranges from southern Africa to the Sahara, is being replaced in the eastern and southeastern part of this area by B. microplus. This seems to be caused by the shorter life cycle of microplus, as well as the tendency to assortative mating and more successful feeding on cattle and is cause of much concern in the area, because the expansion of microplus-transmitted pathogens (Tonnesen et al 2004). In more humid West African zones, B. annulatus mixes with or is totally replaced by B. geigyi.…”

First record of the pantropical blue tick Rhipicephalus microplus in Namibia

“…It is currently unclear as to how and why R. microplus displaces R. decoloratus at some localities, as reported in Zambia (Berkvens et al 1998), Swaziland (Wedderburn et al 1999), southern Mozambique (Horak et al 2009) as well as at certain localities in South Africa (T¢nnesen et al 2004;Nyangiwe and Horak 2007), while this is not the case at other localities, even within the same country. For instance, although R. microplus was the dominant species, both ticks remained present on cattle and the vegetation during a 5 year study on an experimental farm in the Stutterheim district in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa (Nyangiwe et al 2011).…”

“…On the African continent R. microplus is common along the eastern coastal belt and also in the summer rainfall northern regions of South Africa (Howell et al 1978;T¢nnesen et al 2004;Horak et al 2009;Spickett et al 2011). It is also present in Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia (Mason and Norval 1980;Berkvens et al 1998;Wedderburn et al 1999;Horak et al 2009).…”