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Association patterns of ticks (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae, Argasidae) of small mammals in Cerrado fragments, western Brazil

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Abstract

The present study describes ticks associated with small mammals and analyzes the aggregation patterns according to seasonal and host variations in the Cerrado biome, central–western Brazil. Small mammals were systematically captured in 54 woodland fragments from February 2012 to July 2013. A total of 1,040 animals belonging to eight marsupial and 12 rodent species were captured; 265 animals were parasitized by eight tick species (in decreasing order of abundance): Ornithodoros mimon, Amblyomma coelebs, Amblyomma sculptum, Amblyomma ovale, Amblyomma parvum, Amblyomma dubitatum, Amblyomma parkeri, and Ixodes amarali. With few exceptions, collected ticks were larvae and nymphs. Among the more abundant animals, the marsupial Didelphis albiventris showed the highest tick prevalence (84.4 %), mean abundance (19.2), mean intensity (22.8), richness of ticks species (n = 7), and total abundance of ticks (n = 2,457). Amblyomma sculptum and O. mimon were the most generalist species, collected on four host species. Fifteen new tick–host associations are reported for the first time. Most ticks showed higher prevalence and mean intensity in the dry season, regardless of host species. Overall, tick prevalence and mean intensity of infestation were significantly associated with host gender. Finally, the importance of the large number of records of the argasid O. mimon is discussed.

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Acknowledgments

Our thanks to staff of the Laboratory of Ecology and Biogeography of the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria for help in the fieldwork and the owners of areas sampled for allowing the realization of the research. We are grateful for scholarships granted by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) to JS and GLM, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) to TFM and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) to FSK. We are also grateful to Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for the financial support (Edital Universal 2011, Processo 470324/2011-2).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Av. Roraima 1000, Santa Maria, RS, 97110-970, Brazil

    Jonas Sponchiado

  2. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, CCBS, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul, CP 549, Campo Grande, MS, 79070-900, Brazil

    Geruza L. Melo

  3. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Professor Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, SP, 05508-270, Brazil

    Thiago F. Martins, Felipe S. Krawczak & Marcelo B. Labruna

  4. Laboratório de Ecologia e Biogeografia, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Av. Roraima 1000, Santa Maria, RS, 97110-970, Brazil

    Jonas Sponchiado, Geruza L. Melo & Nilton C. Cáceres

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  1. Jonas Sponchiado
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Sponchiado, J., Melo, G.L., Martins, T.F. et al. Association patterns of ticks (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae, Argasidae) of small mammals in Cerrado fragments, western Brazil. Exp Appl Acarol 65, 389–401 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-014-9877-9

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