the life-cycle on dogs and cattle, with confirmation of its vector status for in Australia.

The intracellular protozoal parasite ikeda has rapidly spread across South-eastern Australia since 2006, causing deaths and production losses in cattle. The 3-host "bush tick" (Neumann) appears the principal biological vector in the endemic regions. To generate sufficient numbers of ticks to produce stabilate for infection to confirm vector competency and for acaricide trials, the optimal conditions and stage-specific intervals for the generational life-cycle of was defined on two dogs and two steers. To determine whether was a definitive host for nymphal stages were fed on a steer infected with and moulted adults were permitted to feed for 3 days on an uninfected calf prior to harvest. Subsequent detection of infection after inoculation of four naïve calves with stabilate produced from ground-up adult ticks or dissected salivary glands confirmed as one final (definitive) host for in Australia.