Like other ticks formerly placed in the genus Boophilus, Rhipicephalus microplus 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. microplus is a major pest of cattle. In addition to their more direct negative impacts on their hosts, in many regions these ticks are vectors for babesioses and anaplasmosis. This species is native to Southeast Asia, but has spread throughout the tropics, including Australia, East and Southern Africa, and South and Central America. (Jongejan and Uilenberg 2004)
