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Morphological study of the cattle ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting on sheep in Alnnajaf province-Iraq

Present study was conducted during period (March to September 2018) on the cattle ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) that infested on sheep goat ears in Alnnajaf Province. Two species of hard ticks were identified Boophilus annulatus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus, the species B. annulatus was most predominant than the species R. sanguineus at percentages (92.14, 7.85) % respectively. Of these ticks, 105 were female, 38 were males, 124 and 144 were nymph females and males respectively and there were not larva observed. The monthly samples of hard tick B. annulatus revealed that higher monthly samples during September, but lower monthly samples during June and July. Results of Scanner Electron Microscope analyses showed more distinguished fine characters of B. annulatus that differentiated from R. sanguineus, however both species were lived together on sheep and goat.


Introduction:-
Ticks are blood-sucking arthropoda that ectoparasitize on cattle, they transmit broad ranges of infectious agents (viruses, bacteria, parasites) therefore they considered most important vectors of diseases for humans [1], [2] and [3]. In Iraq the study of ticks species has become more important because of their relationships with some viral diseases that may be spreading in the future, as well as ticks are responsible for serious economic loses of livestock industry [4]. They are able to attack a wide variety of hosts such as mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. In addition, hard ticks are distributed globally throughout the world [1], [3 ]and [ 4]. Previous studies on hard ticks species were reported several species in Iraq particularly southern part such as  [5,6 and 7].Since there is not enough studies about fine morphological characters of hard ticks in Iraq thus, the present study was conducted to study minute morphological characters based on scanning electron microscope (SEM).

2.Materials and methods:
Present study was carried out on hard ticks of 150 heads of sheep and goat from five different sites

3-Results and Discussion:
During the present study the total number were (411) of tick specimens were collected from rural different sites of Alnnajaf province. Of these ticks, 105 were females, 38 were males, 124 and 144 were nymph females and males respectively and there were not larva observed (table 1).

4-Dissections
Results of present study revealed that body profile of B. annulatus was narrow oval with anal groove occurred to form a line posterior to the anus and jointed at posterior to form a point Photograph   (3 A,B) . Eyes were present with small size, profile of capituli were hexagonal with straight dorsal posterior margins Photograph (3 C). In females cervical field of scutum was distinct .Columns of teeth on hypostome were ventral surface with number 3+3 dentition Photograph (3 D,E and F).Cornua was absent, the first coxa anterior projection was small and not visible dorsally. Festoon was found in males but in females was lacked.
Present study showed that B. annulatus and R. sanguineus the only hard ticks were identified.
The species R. sanguineus was easily recognized by the combination of festoons and bilateral pointed basis capituli and both species were similar but B. annulatus lacks festoon in females [12]. Present study revealed that B. annulatus was considerably higher number than the R. sanguineus on the cattle. This deference might be due to the number of hosts preferred by B. annulatus infested sheep and goats [13 and 14]. The species R. sanguineus is one of the most important groups because its capacity to transmit serious diseases [15 and 16] and may be interacted with B. annulatus species because both species were collected primarily from sheep and goats as well as dogs were coexist together [17 ,18, and 22] In Alnnajaf Province at which present study had done hard ticks were more abundant started during March to May and then declined in June into July but in September abundance raised at top might be due to variations in temperature and humidity of province Alnnajaf where hot, arid commonly weather conditions might be hard ticks were more adaptation [19 and 20]. The importance of prevailing environmental conditions such as temperature have been mentioned by other research [6, 23, 24, 25 and 26].