Van Niekerk D J, Fourie L J, Horak I G
Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa.
Onderstepoort J Vet Res. 2006 Jun;73(2):123-30. doi: 10.4102/ojvr.v73i2.157.
The objective of this study was to determine the species spectrum of ixodid ticks infesting birds in Free State Province, South Africa. To this end a large number of birds belonging to several species were examined for ticks and a total of 180 birds belonging to 39 species at 17 localities were infested, and ticks belonging to eight species were recovered. The immature stages of only two, namely Amblyomma marmoreum and Hyalomma marginatum rufipes, were sufficiently prevalent and numerous to safely assume that they regularly use birds as hosts. Helmeted guineafowls, Numida meleagris, were the most heavily infested and one harboured a total of 319 larvae and four nymphs. Amongst the other species an eastern clapper lark, Mirafra fasciolata, was infested with 69 larvae and a nymph, but no other bird harboured more than 40 ticks. The larvae and nymphs of H. m. rufipes were most numerous on birds from April to August.
本研究的目的是确定南非自由邦省寄生于鸟类的硬蜱种类谱。为此，对多个物种的大量鸟类进行了蜱虫检查，在17个地点共检查了39种180只鸟类，发现了属于8个种类的蜱虫。其中只有两种蜱虫的未成熟阶段，即大理石纹硬蜱和边缘璃眼蜱红棕亚种，分布足够广泛且数量众多，可以确定它们经常以鸟类为宿主。头盔珠鸡是感染最严重的，一只头盔珠鸡身上共有319只幼虫和4只若虫。在其他物种中，一只东科利鹨感染了69只幼虫和1只若虫，但没有其他鸟类身上的蜱虫超过40只。边缘璃眼蜱红棕亚种的幼虫和若虫在4月至8月的鸟类身上数量最多。
