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.
During a survey for ectoparasites on birds in a small reserve of the Brazilian cerrado (savannah) a male adultRhipicephalus 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.
Ao mesmo tempo em que queremos aprender e explorar todas as coisas, esperamos que todas as coisas sejam misteriosas e inexploráveis, que a terra e o mar sejam infinitamente selvagens, imapeados e insondados porque insondáveis. Nunca nos cansaremos da Natureza."Henry Thoreau, Walden -A vida nos Bosques vi Dedico este trabalho ao meu filho José Francisco Pascoli de Andrade que do alto de seus dez anos de idade me iluminou com muitos momentos de sabedoria durante as etapas mais difíceis dessa jornada.vii AGRADECIMENTOS Esse trabalho não seria possível sem todo o apoio e incentivo que obtive durante este processo.Agradeço a todos que participaram dessa pesquisa, em especial:
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