Like other ticks formerly placed in the genus Boophilus, Rhipicephalus annulatus has short mouthparts and a 1-host life cycle. Development from unfed larva to engorged female on a cattle host takes around three weeks. In much of the world, R. annulatus is a major pest of cattle. This species occurs in the Mediterranean region, southern Russia, and the Near and Middle East. It has extended its distribution southward into Africa. Together with R. microplus, it has been introduced into Mexico, from which it spread northward to the southern United States, triggering a successful effort to virtually eradicate it from the United States. (Jongejan and Uilenberg 2004)
The Cattle tick, (Rhipicephalus annulatus), is a hard-bodied tick of the genus Rhipicephalus. It is also known as North American cattle tick, North American Texas fever tick, and Texas fever tick.[1]
It shows a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is found in Eritrea, Albania, Algeria, Benin, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Congo, Cote D'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Greece, Guam, Guinea, India, Israel, Jordan, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Portugal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, and Turkey.[2]
It is an obligate ectoparasite of domestic mammals such as cattle, horse, sheep, dog. It is a potential vector of many babesiosis pathogens like Babesia bigemina, Babesia bovis, and Anaplasma marginale.[3] Its ability to be a vector of babesiosis pathogens was discovered by Theobald Smith and Frederick L. Kilbourne.[4]
It shows a one-host lifecycle, where all larva, nymphs and adults lives in one host. After eggs hatched, larva crawl in vegetation and blown away with wind. After stick on to a host, larva found in softer parts of the body and then becomes nymph and then to adult after two molts. After sexually matured and mating, female detaches from the host and lay eggs on vegetation. Female dies after ovipositing. Adult has a hexagonal shaped scutum. Male has adanal shields and accessory shields. Anal groove is absent in female, but minute in male.[5]
Babesiasis is one of the major cattle devastating diseases throughout the world. It reduce the meat production, and dairy products as well. Quarantine is the major method of controlling ticks. Sanitation and frequent check for ticks also taken place. Preparations of Nigella sativa are a good method to control ticks.[6]
The Cattle tick, (Rhipicephalus annulatus), is a hard-bodied tick of the genus Rhipicephalus. It is also known as North American cattle tick, North American Texas fever tick, and Texas fever tick.
