Ecological studies of ixodid ticks (Acari, Ixodidae) in Zambia. I. Cattle as hosts of the larvae ofAmblyomma variegatum(F.) andRhipicephalus appendiculatusneum.

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Abstract
The roles of cattle and alternative hosts in maintaining the immature stages of Amblyomma variegatum (F.) and Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Neum. are unknown. Weekly collections of ticks from cattle in two herds in Zambia indicated an apparently higher nymph-adult ratio in the annual totals for A. variegatum than for R. appendiculatus. The larva-nymph ratios for these herds were estimated by a patch-sampling method in which all larvae and nymphs on 100 cm2 areas on the cheek, neck, dewlap, shoulder, ribs, abdomen and lower-foreleg were collected. The overall annual ratios of larvae to nymphs on the two herds were: A. variegatum 5:1 and 14:1, R. appendiculatus 1·5:1 in both herds. The ratios suggest that cattle themselves feed larvae of A. variegatum in sufficient numbers to maintain their nymphal infestation level. The numbers of cattle-fed larvae of R. appendiculatus may not be adequate for this, and alternative hosts may play an important part in maintaining the population at existing levels. There was negligible evidence of significant shift of distribution of the immature stages over the body with advancing season, and it is suggested that patch-sampling affords a method of quantitative comparison of the relative infestations by the immature stages of ticks.

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