CHANGES IN POPULATION STAGE STRUCTURE OF AN ARGASID TICK ARGAS ARBOREUS DURING NESTING SEASON OF ITS HOST, THE CATTLE EGRET BUBULCUS IBIS, IN SOUTH AFRICA

About authors:

Belozerov V. N., Biological Research Institute, St. Petersburg State University, Stary Peterhof, St. Petersburg, 198504, Russia

G.Kopij, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, The University of the Orange Free State, P.O.B. 339, Bloemfontein 9300, Republic of South Africa

Acknowledgments:

The field work was supported by the University of the Orange Free State, South Africa, and the laboratory treatment of field collections by Russian Foundation of Basic Research (Grant 96-04-48267). The help of Dr. J.Walker (Onderstepoort Institute of Veterinary Research) in tick determination, of Prof. O.J.Kok (University of OFS) in bird study consul-tations, and of Ms.& Mr. Theron, the owners of the farm Wolwekop, is highly appreciated.

Annotation:

Development of a tick Argas arboreus inhabit-ing rookeries of the cattle egret Bubulcus ibis is synchronized with breeding season of its host, both in the southern (South Africa) and northern (Egypt) parts of its area. The period of tick activity (feeding of overwintered ticks, their reproduction and devel-opment of next generation) coincides with bird nesting period during spring-summer season. The overwintering reserve consisted of unfed and en-gorged adult ticks and nymphs II—III is formed by the end of nesting season. The univoltine develop-mental cycle, typical for A.arboreus, can be com-bined with bivoltine and biennial cycles (that results in an increased stability of local tick populations).

Bibliography:

Balashov Yu.S. 1982. [Host-parasite relations of Arthro-pods and terrestrial Vertebrates] / L., "Nauka". 319 s. [in Russian]

Belozerov V.N. 1976. [Life cycles and seasonal adaptations in Ixodid ticks] // Dokl. 28 Chteniy Pamyati N.A Kholodkovskogo. «Nauka». S. 53-102. [in Russian]

Belozerov V.N. 1982. Diapause and biological rhythms in ticks // Physiology of Ticks (F.D.Obenchain and R.Galun, eds.). Pergamon Press. P. 469-500.

FilippovaNA. 1966. [Argasid Ticks (Argasidae). Fauna of USSR. Arachnoidea] / Т. IV. Vyp.3. "Nauka". 255 s. [in Russian]

FilippovaNA.. 1977. [Ixodid Ticks of Subfamily Ixodinae. Fauna of USSR. Arachnoidea], T.IV. Vyp.4. "Nau-ka". 296 s. [in Russian]

Bassal T.M. and Roshdy M.A. 1974. Argas (Persicargas) arboreus: Juvenile hormone analog termination of diapause and oviposition control // Exper. Parasitol-ogy. Vol.36. №1. P. 34-39.

Guirgis S.S. 1971. The Subgenus Persicargas (Ixodoidea, Argasidae, Argas). 11. Ecology and seasonal dynam-ics of A. (P.) arboreus in Egypt // J. Med. Entomol. Vol.8. №4. P. 407-414.

Hafez M., Abdel-Malek AA. and Guirgis S.S. 1971. The Subgenus Persicargas (Ixodoidea, Argasidae, Argas). 12. Biological studies on the immature stages of A. (P.) arboreus in Egypt  / J. Med. Entomol. Vol.8. №4. P. 421-429.

Hafez M., Abdel-Malek A.A. and Guirgis S.S. 1972. The Subgenus Persicargas (Ixodoidea, Argasidae, Argas). 14. Biological studies on the adult stage ofA (P). arboreus in Egypt // J. Med. Entomol. Vol.9. №1. P. 19-29.

Kaiser M.N. 1966. The Subgenus Persicargas (Ixodoidea, Argasidae, Argas). 3. The life cycle of A. (P.) arboreus, and a standardized rearing method for Argasid ticks // Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer. Vol.59. №3. P.496-502.

Kaiser M.N., Hoogstraal H. and Kohls G.M. 1964. The Subgenus Persicargas, new subgenus (Ixodoidea, Argasidae, Argas). I.A.(P). arboreus, new species, an Egyptian Persicus-like parasite of wild birds, with a redefinition of the Subgenus Argas // Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer. Vol.57. №1. P. 60-69.

Khalil G.M. 1974. The Subgenus Persicargas (Ixodoidea, Argasidae, Argas). 19. Preliminary studies on dia-pause in A. (P.) arboreus // J . Med. Entomol. Vol. 11. №3. P. 363-366.

Khalil G.M. 1976. The Subgenus Persicargas (Ixodoidea, Argasidae, Argas). 26. Argas (P.)  arboreus: effect of photoperiod on diapause induction and termination // Exper. Parasitology. Vol.40. №2. P. 232-237.

Khalil G.M. and Shanbaky N.M. 1976a. Hormonal control of diapause in the tick Argas arboreus / / J. Insect Physiology. Vol.22. №12. P.1659-1663.

Khalil G.M. and Shanbaky N.M. 1976b. The Subgenus Persicargas (Ixodoidea, Argasidae, Argas). 25. A. (P.) arboreus: effect of temperature on diapause termina-tion / / Exper. Parasitology. Vol.39. №4. P.431-437.

Khalil G.M., Hoogstraal H. and Oliver J.H., Jr. 1980. Biological evaluation of the systematic validity of the African Argas (Persicargas) arboreus and the Asian-Australian A. (P). robertsi (Ixodoidea, Argasidae) / / Intern. J. Parasitology. Vol.10. №2. P.253-259.

Kopij G. 1995. Breeding biology of the Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis in Dewetsdorp district, Free State Province // Mirafra. Vol.12. P. 8-9.

Kopij G. 1997. Timing of colony occupation, clutch size and breeding success in the Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis related to nest location in a South African heronry // Acta Ornithol. Vol.32. №2.

Shanbaky N.M. and Khalil G.M. 1975. The Subgenus Persicargas (Ixodoidea, Argasidae, Argas). 22. The effect of feeding on hormonal control of egg devel-opment in A. (P). arboreus // Exper. Parasitology. Vol.37. №3. P. 361-366.