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Year 2015 - Volume 35, Number 6
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Patterns of parasitism by Amblyomma rotundatum (Ixodidae) on Rhinella schneideri (Bufonidae) in islands of São Francisco River, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 35(6):579-582
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ABSTRACT.- Luz H.R., Faccini J.L.H. & Silva H.R. 2015. Patterns of parasitism by Amblyomma rotundatum (Ixodidae) on Rhinella schneideri (Bufonidae) in islands of São Francisco River, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira 35(6):579-582. Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ 23890-000, Brazil. E-mail: faccinijlh@globo.com
We sampled ticks from specimens of the rococo toad Rhinella schneideri by flannel dragging on two Islands located in the São Francisco River near the Três Marias hydroelectric dam, southeastern Brazil. A total of 120 toads was examined, of which 63 (52.5%) were parasitized only by Amblyomma rotundatum totaling 96 larvae, 163 nymphs and 134 females. The burden of parasitism ranged from one to 43 ticks, with a mean intensity of infestation of 6.2±5.5 ticks per host. The tick A. rotundatum exhibited highly aggregated distribution. Peak abundance of larvae and nymphs occurred in the dry season (May to September), whereas peak abundance of females occurred in the wet season (October to April). We collected most ticks near the head and hind limbs of R. schneideri. The finding of two engorged A. rotundatum nymphs in the same resting places of two toads and the absence of this species in the dragged areas suggest a nidicolous behavior at the studied site.
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