Ixodid Ticks Diversity and Seasonal Dynamic on Cattle in North, Middle and South of Iraq

Abstract

A survey was conducted from January 2015 to December 2015 in 12 provinces in Iraq to identify and classify the seasonal distributions of the major hard ticks species (Ixodidae) found on cattle in the north, middle and south of Iraq. A total of 17,156 adult hard ticks were collected from 3,812 indigenous cattle. Sampling was repeated from the same provinces every month to determine the seasonal diversity. Five species belonging to two genera (Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus) were identified; the most abundant ticks were Hyalomma anatolicum 41.72%, Rhipicephalus turanicus 24.60%, Hyalomma turanicum 16.65%, Hyalomma scupense 13.26% and Rhipicephalus annulatus 3.67%. There were differences between each province related to the environment as well with the previous studies.