Ectoparasites of the Blackbuck Antelope (Antilope cervicapra) Author(s): James W. Mertins, Jack L. Schlater, and Joseph L. Corn Source: Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 28(3):481-484. Published By: Wildlife Disease Association URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.7589/0090-3558-28.3.481

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Journal

Ectoparasites (Antilope James

of the Blackbuck

Inspection

Jack

L. Schlater,

Service,

Ames, Iowa 50010, Veterinary Medicine,

USA; The

and Joseph

Veterinary

Services,

L. Corn,2

National

(Mallophaga),

one

three

species

This

is the

first

to monitor minants

species

of

of ticks report

of

louse

fly

(Acari) the

present-day

anoplurans

Many

exotic

found.

asites

of

States

(except

since

introductions

wide

survey

species

have

been

private

ranches

in

Texas

by

the

Department

USA)

in

137

of

and

on the

central The

Texas present

tinuing

States

Plant

(APHIS) the

Disease Georgia,

all

present

The

Edwards

1989). was part effort

by

of

of Agriculture, Inspection

(Washington,

D.C.

Southeastern

20090,

Cooperative

(SCWDS) Athens,

Georgia

(The

ungulates

of

ruthis

imported

at

was far less and par-

in

have

the

been

(Thornton Wright

objective

United

little

stud-

of

et

and

this

al.,

region

99#{176}00’to

1988).

was

study

and

to

25

from anicompany Ingram,

July

antelope free-ranging

Service

thorough

in

of

hide

after

survey

were

five

were

the

imens

were

sonnel

of the

6

were to

18

1988;

1989.

(Table

by

skinning. placed SCWDS

blackrepresenton five shooting. involved

inspections dead

of animal

the or

entire of the

Representative

in 70% and

Jan-

23

1).

harvested for ectoparasites

freshly

taken January

and

Fifty-two

examined, populations

counties

visual

body

Counties).

to 5 August

buck ing

Animal

Edwards,

Verde

1987;

to 2 February

Animals Examinations

481

assess

black-

(29#{176}30’ to 30#{176}30’N

in the

uary

ranches

USA)

on

Bandera,

Val

November

a con-

Wildlife

Texas

and

included 5

United

USA)

of

101#{176}30’W,

Sutton,

4 to

326

1973;

Glaze,

78025, USA) that specializes in marexotic game meat. All host animals from game ranches in the Edwards

Those

University 30602,

1985;

Kerr,

(76%) of west-

the

cornuta

by

21,230 on

majority Plateau

were

exotic of

monitoring the diseases

in zoos)

Wright,

Plateau

in

were (ca.

fauna

exotic

cornuta

Texas keting were

species

cervicapra)

Health

Study

College

the present ectoparasite fauna buck from Texas. Ectoparasites were collected mals harvested by a private (Texas Wild Game Cooperative,

Black-

species

(Traweek, study

Department

and

of

were

cooperative

of Parasitology,

when health Furthermore,

The

exotic

individuals.

in 86 counties.

occurred

of

population

numerous

individuals)

Department

lone star tick (Amblyomma amenicanurn), and two species of chewing lice, Darnalinia (Tnicholipeurus) parallela and D. (T.)

Wild-

ranches

and Plant Laboratory,

The few species of ectoparasites reported from b!ackbuck in Texas include the rabbit ear mite (Psoroptes cuniculi), the

78744,

486

Animal

Pathobiology

ied.

A stateand

species

on

(Antilope

most

ranches

1930. Texas

67

164,257

antelope third

and

Parks

found The

consisted the

in

Texas

distributed

counties.

buck

began (Austin,

1988

ungu!ates

of

ungulate on

of Agriculture,

Laboratories,

exotic

Linog-

(Diptera),

were

prevalence.

life

pp. 481-484

1992,

the health status of Texas. The ancestors

in

a time strict.

nathus cervicaprae and L. pithodes from the Western Hemisphere. The southern deer ked (Lipoptena mazamae), the winter tick (Dermacentor albzpictus), and the rabbit tick (Haemaphysalis leporispalustris) are reported from bbackbuck for the first time. The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) and the mallophagan (Damalinia cornuta cornuta) were reported previously from blackbuck in Texas, the latter species under the name Tricholipeurus balanicus balanicus. Key words: Blackbuck antelope, Antilope cervicapra, ectoparasites, lice, ticks, deer keds,

established

Services

2 Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA

free-ranging blackbuck cervicapra) from Texas were for ectoparasites. Two species of suck(Anoplura), one species of chewing louse

and

U.S. Department

1

Veterinary

(Antilope

survey,

28(3).

Antelope

Fifty-two

ABSTRACT:

antelope examined ing lice

Diseases,

cervicapra)

W. Mertins,

Health

of Wildlife

ethanol

submitted

spec-

by

perto the

482

JOURNAL

TABLE

1.

OF WILDLIFE

Prevabence

DISEASES,

VOL. 28, NO. 3, JULY

ectoparasites

of

on

1992

(Antilope

blackbuck

County,

cervicapra)

collection

dates

and

in

(number

Edwards Bandera Nov 1987

Ectoparasite collected

Linognathus cervlcaprae Linognathus pithodes Darnalinia cornuta cornuta Lipoptena mazarnae Arnblyornma arnerlcanurn Derrnacentor albipictus Haernaphysalis leporispalustris of animals

Number

‘No

parasites

found

examined)”

Val Verde

Jan-Feb

Val

Verde

1988

Jan 1988

1989

Jan 1988

(16)

(3)

(6)

(8)

33

Jan-Feb 1989 (14)

13 50 63

67 50

21 50 7

13 81

33

100

67

50

13

13 examined

on one

Kerr

50

infested/number

were

of animals

Kerr

Jul-Aug

(4)

Texas.

animal

expressed

examined

100

as a percentage.

in Sutton

County

in November

1987.

(NVSL,

physalis leponispalustnis one county each.

cession 14815,

The diversity of parasite species collected on individual hosts ranged from one to four species. The number of hosts infested with one, two, three, and four par-

National

Veterinary

Services

Laboratories

Ames, Iowa 50010, USA) for identification. Voucher specimens are in the parasite reference collection at NVSL (Ac-

24234

numbers 88-42692

88-14804 through

through

through 88-42703,

89-24246,89-24257

8889through

89-24261, 89-22993, and 89-22996). We collected 334 ectoparasites on 45 of 52

(86%)

blackbuck

examined

(Table

1).

The single animal examined from Sutton County was uninfested as were two of four from Bandera County, three of 16 from Edwards County, and one of 22 from Va! Verde

County.

(Anoplura),

Two one

(Mallophaga), (Diptera), (Acari) There prevalence

species

species

one

of sucking of

lice

chewing

of

species

louse

deer

and three species of ixodid were identified (Table 1). was considerable variation of the parasites. Lipoptena

ked ticks in the ma-

zarnae was the least prevalent parasite, with two Edwards County blackbuck infested with one specimen each. Linogna thus cenvicaprae also was uncommon, with five female individuals found on four hosts. The most abundant and prevalent parasite was Amblyomma amenicanum with 120 specimens

(males,

lected

from

des also was 93 specimens thermore,

females, 20

hosts.

abundant

and and

collected it occurred

the five counties cervicaprae, L.

nymphs)

co!-

Linognathus prevalent,

from on

sampled. mazamae,

pitho-

in

three

pit hodes ing lice

of

By contrast, L. and Haema-

11,

four,

in only

and

of L. cervicaprae

three, L.

and

are the first records of these suckin the Western Hemisphere. EvL. cerin 1847 and in

1938 at the Zoological Garden of (England) (Ferris, 1951). There published records from other host or from free-ranging blackbuck

London are no species in their

native thodes

India is

blackbuck London,

and

Nepal.

reported

in 1916

Linognathus

previously

in the

pi-

only

Zoological

on

a

Garden

(Ferris, 1951).

We

of found

no other published records of this louse in the Western Hemisphere or in India and Nepal. This louse now seems to be widespread on b!ackbuck in Texas. A recent monograph America

on the sucking (Kim et a!., 1986)

pithodes

nor L. first

New

antelope-specific

Fur-

27,

found

idently host-specific to b!ackbuck, vicaprae was reported previously at a menagerie in Paris (France)

The

with

18 hosts.

hosts

asite species were respectively. The collections

were

lice of North lists neither L.

cervicaprae. World

specimens

chewing

of

louse

D.

the

cor-

nuta cornuta were collected in 1982 from a blackbuck in Texas (Wright, 1985). This report referred to the parasite as Tnicholipeurus

balanicus

balanicus,

but

Wer-

SHORT

neck

(1957)

nuta

cornuta

louse. by

earlier

We

louse

with

in most

early

as

the

1840’s,

that

this

(Gazella and

louse

on

that

parallela

on

three

Texas

merits

currence

(Thornton

linia central seems

to

a host

for

be

the

D.

the

et

a!.,

efforts

from

the

(1973)

provocative.

cur

in

Dama-

tistically

This

acteristics

only

published

parallela

other

record than

spp.).

Thus

voucher

collections

of

of

a deer far,

Thornton

comparison

ex-

have

al.

We not

found

one

previously

single

insect

reported

male

collected

deer from

poboscids, are

(L.

keds each

erences

fairly

of

occur

North

records

dental

occurrences

of

mestic

cattle the

in

tropical

unfed,

and

Ticks

The blackbuck

slightly

three

casional

sclerotized

exotic

species

that of

animals of

in

Texas.

b!ackbuck

taken

uary

1989

and

nymphs

the

are

was of

on 100%

H.

common

Edwards one

or

a single infested

leponispalustnis.

ranch with

14 Jan-

larvae This

is

to-

species

of

reported blackbuck.

in

Nepal

(Hoog-

H.

and

is

adapt

are

indigenous

species

himaH.

and et a!.,

in-

1978).

particularly

are other exotic that eventually

blackbuck

three

reof

santo

Asia

birmaniae H. bispinosa

these

two

nepalensis

ocand

in

of

found

Plateau

able

host

specific.

on

wild, group

1970),

There parasites

includ-

domestic,

However,

repsmall,

individuals.

blackbuck

straal,

None

L.

of

were

from

H.

are

that

host-restrict-

Four

from

These

to

populafound

the

humans.

lo-

adapted

laya in Nepal (Mitchell, 1979), termedia in India (Miranpuri

barbara) tajacu)

probably both

from

parasites

dostray

specimens

straying;

collected

and

(Tayra (Tayassu

grison

peccary

from a similar

on

1966)

America.

resent

gion

the

collared

mazamae

mazamae

(Drummond, on

and

L.

was

Va!

the

(Rhipicephalus

tick

attacking

in

antelope of

the

H. lep-

ranch

recently

seemingly

previously

acci-

All

has

local

Haemaphysalis

1954of

unusually

perhaps

there

dog

selec-

by

one

population

brown

ward

normally

(Bequaert,

occurrences

species

America

wapiti

ed

or

ed

to this

and

(1989)

such

host

b!ackbuck.

from

the

intra-

among

upon

Texas,

Goddard

guineus)

pref-

All three

occasional

There

a localized

exists

on

population

tion.

of stachar-

of blackbuck

infest

Hip-

basis

Possibly

leading

are

tick

were mamhost

are

57).

deer

their

1942). in

on

from

in

and

County,

readily

antelope.

those

(Bequaert,

cal

blackbuck;

mazamae)

two

specific

Lipoptena

ectoparasite

from

especially

mals, of

other

the

1968).

infestations

Verde

to ocisolated

on

prevalence

onispalustnis

unsuc-

cessful.

100%-in-

is known

based

behavior

known

this

morphological

also

a

Thus,

is anomalous

tick

(Thomas,

tick

but

geographically

variation

high

et

been

This

populations,

tion

ru-

is unusual.

animals

discernible

specific

Trembley,

various

of

14

im-

ground-

infested,

measurable

local

specimens

and

10%

discrete,

populations,

from

re-examination.

to locate

for

and

of

the also

including

appearance

oc-

host1978),

and

occasionally

sample

highly

lagomorphs; (Bishopp

sudden

and

of

Drenner,

exceeding

Texas,

1973)

and

hosts,

are

fested

behavior,

rabbits

birds

prevalence

483

b!ackbuck.

are

attack

Larger

minants,

from

species

attacking

well

reported

tick

ticks

the

tick

host-finding

(Camin

seems

blackbuck

Odocoileus

(primarily tensive

as

a gazelle

now in

feel

1945).

(1957)

is properly

blackbuck

we

feeding

dorcas)

Werneck it

1938. came

their

this

primarily mature

of this

of of

from in

record

adults

two.

taken Zoo

first

specific

the

specimens

Nevertheless,

therefore,

taken

of

London

gazelles

Because

specimens,

was

extant

dorcas

established

own

identity

the

from

parasite.

our

previously

However,

the

this

specimens

the

b!ackbuck

suggests

synonym

compared

confirm

D. corfor

designated

senior

(1985)

we

This

a

have

Wright

and

had

as

COMMUNICATIONS

centor

from

Texas.

species

and

arthropod might be

of

fleas

Mitchell

(1979)

(Anicistropsylla

Ctenocephalidesfelis)

and

(Haemaphysalis sp., auratus, and Rhipicephalus

Dermahae-

ticks

maphysaloides) Previously,

ectofound

on

Clifford

single

female

Ixodes

buck

in Nepal.

Also,

blackbuck

et a!.

in (1975)

ovatus a louse

on fly

Nepal. found a

black-

(Lipoptena

a

484

JOURNAL

OF WILDLIFE

VOL. 28, NO. 3, JULY 1992

DISEASES,

iniqua) is known only from blackbuck northern India (Maa, 1969). Finally, we have in our reference case of Psoroptes that corroborates

lection another from blackbuck tedates (1988).

the Our

record of specimens

in

Museum

Support for

of H. British

thanks Center,

our

leponispalustnis; Museum of correct to T. for

Rowley,

and

structive port for

D.

Southeastern

Lyal, for

name for D. cornuta Galvin and M. A. assistance in attempts

D.

Wilson

D. W.

provided

Cooperative

parA.

con-

reviews of the manuscript. field studies conducted

Supby the

Wildlife

Dis-

ease Study was through Cooperative Agreement Number 12-16-93-032, Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agriculture. done

Service, U.S. Field aspects

with

and Inc.

the

Department of this study

cooperation Texas

from

Wild

LITERATURE J. C.

BEQUAERT,

aginae,

1942.

or

gica

(Diptera,

Americana

louse-flies

cana

F.

C.,

tribution

ticks.

The

behavior asitobogy CLIFFORD,

AND

and

H. hosts

and

36:

L.

TREMBLEY.

of

certain

host-finding

leporispalustris).

of

Part

of AmeriAmeri-

417-611. 1945.

North

DRENNER.

or

birds.

revision

of Parasitobogy

H. W.

and

Hippoboscidae

Entomobogica

35: 233-416;

Journal and

rnaphysalis

The

species.

AND

and

J. H.,

CAMIN,

and

Mebophdeer,

Entomolo-

of mammals

evolution

34: 1-232;

BISHOPP,

goats,

1-64.

(Diptera)

genera

of the

sheep,

1954-57.

II. Taxonomy,

Hughes

CITED

Hippoboscidae). 22:

J. C.

BEQUAERT,

can

of

of were

Cooperative,

A monograph

ked-flies,

antelopes

M.

Game

31:

Journal

825.

628-629.

H.

rnaniae

Supino

dea,

Ixodidae),

Dis-

The

1970.

Haemaphysalis (H.) birH. (H.) goral sp. n. (IxodoiAsian parasites of artiodactyl

and

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of Parasitobogy

HOOGSTRAAL,

AND

J. E.

56: 1227-

1238.

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identification

to C. Natural

Ixodidae)

Entomology

FERRIS,

E. Keirans,

Smithsonian

confirming

advice on the cornuta; and Price (deceased)

J.

to

(Acarina:

Medical

H. 0. 1966. Lipoptena rnazarnae Rondani (Diptera: Hippoboscidae), a louse fly of deer, on cattle in southwestern Texas. The Journal of

ogy

(USA). We offer sincere

ticks

of

DRUMMOND,

Parasitobogy

and Glaze Accession

Number 85-20205) were collected in February 1985 from a captive blackbuck in a wild animal park in Warren County, Ohio

stitution,

The Journal

137.

co!-

cuniculi and an-

Wright (NVSL

Ixodes

1975. Nepal.

KEIRANS.

Received

for publication

21 January

1991.