Seasonal Abundance of the Tortoise Tick Amblyomma marmoreum (Acari: Ixodidae) on the Leopard Tortoise, Geochelone paradalis

Abstract

A survey of Amblyomma marmoreum Koch ticks recorded from the leopard tortoise, Geochelone paradalis Bell, in the National Zoological Gardens, Pretoria, South Africa, was carried out over a 19-mo period. No significant differences were found between the tick burdens on male and female tortoises. A. marmoreum showed a clear seasonal pattern of abundance. Larvae were present on the tortoise host during late summer, with a peak in February and March; nymphs were abundant during winter, with a peak in June and July. Male ticks were found throughout the year, but females were present only during spring and early to midsummer with a peak in October. It was demonstrated that each developmental stage of A. marmoreum showed only one peak of activity per year.