Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Ixodida: Ixodidae) Larvae Collected From Vegetation in the Coastal Wildlife Corridor of Southern Texas and Research Solutions for Integrated Eradication

The potential for reinvasion of the United States by cattle fever ticks, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus and Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini), which remain established in Mexico, threatens the viability of the domestic livestock industry because these ticks vector the causal agents (Babesia...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical entomology 2020-07, Vol.57 (4), p.1305-1309
Main Authors: Osbrink, Weste L. A., Showler, Allan T., Abrigo, Veronica, Pérez de León, Adalberto A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Distribution
Animals
Arachnids
area-wide management
Babesiosis
Boophilus
Cattle
cattle fever ticks
Coastal plains
disease vectors
ecology
Environment
Environmental conditions
Fever
Habitat corridors
integrated eradication
Land use
Larva - growth & development
Larva - physiology
Larvae
Livestock
Livestock industry
Rhipicephalus
Rhipicephalus - growth & development
Rhipicephalus - physiology
SHORT COMMUNICATIONS
Texas
Ticks
Vectors
Vegetation
Wildlife
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Summary:The potential for reinvasion of the United States by cattle fever ticks, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus and Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini), which remain established in Mexico, threatens the viability of the domestic livestock industry because these ticks vector the causal agents (Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina) of bovine babesiosis. The Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program safeguards the health of the national cattle herd preventing the reemergence of bovine babesiosis by keeping the United States free of cattle fever ticks. Here, the collection of free-living southern cattle tick, R. microplus, larvae by sweeping flannel flags over vegetation in the wildlife corridor of Cameron and Willacy Counties, TX, is reported. Finding R. microplus larvae on vegetation complements reports of infestations in wildlife hosts inhabiting the southern Texas coastal plains. Land uses and environmental conditions have changed since cattle fever ticks were eradicated from the United States by 1943. These changes complicate efforts by the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program to keep cattle in the United States free of the cattle fever tick disease vectors. Current scientific research on technologies that could be used for area-wide management of fever tick larvae in south Texas and how this could be applied to integrated eradication efforts are discussed.
ISSN:0022-2585
1938-2928
DOI:10.1093/jme/tjaa002