Ivan G. Horak - Böcker

Ticks in the genus Rhipicephalus include many important vectors of animal and human pathogens, but many species are notoriously difficult to identify, particularly as immature stages. This reference volume provides identification keys for adult ticks from the Afrotropical regions and elsewhere. For the nymphs and larvae, unique plates have been compiled in which line drawings of the capitula of similar species are grouped together to facilitate identification. Brief well-illustrated descriptions of the known stages of every species are given, plus information on their hosts, distribution, and disease relationships. Tables providing data on host/parasite relationships and disease transmission are also included, making this the definitive reference source on this group for all those interested in acarology, veterinary or medical parasitology and entomology for many years to come.

This is a comprehensive work summarizing the current state of knowledge of the biology of the hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) of Southern Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho and Maputo Province, Mozambique).

This is a comprehensive work summarizing the current state of knowledge of the biology of the hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) of Southern Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho and Maputo Province, Mozambique). It provides an overview of the history of tick research in Southern Africa and the evolution of our knowledge of the ticks’ distribution and biology, as well as the methods used to determine tick distribution, abundance and host preference. The morphologies of most of the tick species known to occur in Southern Africa are described and illustrated, and their distributions are described and mapped in relation to the biomes of the region. The known hosts for each tick species are listed, and the tick’s host preferences are discussed. Information on most species life cycle in the laboratory and the field, and their seasonal occurrence, is summarized. The diseases of animals and humans transmitted or caused by each tick species are summarized in relation to tick ecology. Aspects of the biology of the major hosts relevant to tick infestations are described, and extensive tick/host and host/tick lists are provided for each country

This book has been designed to summarize current, essential information for every one of the world’s 700+ hard tick species. There will be two tables on host associations and zoogeography in each major genus chapter, as well as five tables in the summary chapter, for a total of 17 tables.