Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) within various phytophysiognomies of a Cerrado reserve in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Cerrado biome, the South American savannah, covers about 2 million km(2) and is very rich in endemic species but threatened by agriculture. In this report free-living tick species are presented, and their seasonal and relative distribution within the various phytophysiognomies in a small Cerrado reserve in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Overall 2,694 free-living ticks were found during a 2 years sampling period with CO(2) traps and cloth dragging. Of these, 73.5% were Amblyomma cajennense and 0.6% Amblyomma dubitatum. All other ticks (25.9%) were retained as Amblyomma spp. Adults of A. cajennense peaked in spring, the nymphs in winter of both years. Amblyomma larval clusters were found in autumn and winter. Adult ticks (46.7%) and nymphs (39.5%) were most often found in woodlands, whereas most larval clusters were found in valley-side marshes (39%). Amblyomma cajennense, Anocentor nitens, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplusand Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks were found on domestic animals from neighboring properties. Search for Rickettsia in the hemolymph of 497 A. cajennense and one A. dubitatum ticks yielded negative results. Results confirmed earlier reports on the overwhelming prevalence of A. cajennense ticks in the Cerrado biome of Brazil and added information to habitat preferences of this tick species, a major vector in Brazil of the Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus parasitizing the bird Coereba flaveola in the Brazilian cerrado

During a survey for ectoparasites on birds in a small reserve of the Brazilian cerrado (savannah) a male adult Rhipicephalus sanguineus tick was found attached to the eyelid of the bird Coereba flaveola. Both tick and bird are presently common in Brazil, however, to best of our knowledge, the association of this tick species with this bird species has not been reported before. This observation may be an accidental finding but might also be an unknown route for the dissemination of the tick. The species R. sanguineus was introduced in the country with the colonization and should be considered a research target for the surveillance of tick-borne diseases.

Durante um levantamento sobre ectoparasitos em aves, em uma pequena reserva de cerrado, constatou-se um macho adulto do carrapato Rhipicephalus sanguineus fixado à pálpebra da ave Coereba flaveola. Embora a ave e o parasito sejam abundantes no Brasil, esta associação hospedeiro-parasita não foi previamente relatada. Esta observação pode se referir a um fato isolado e acidental, mas também pode se referir a uma via de disseminação antes desconhecida desta espécie de carrapato. A espécie R. sanguineus foi introduzida no Brasil durante a colonização e deve ser considerada um alvo de pesquisas importante na supervisão de doenças transmitidas por carrapatos.