Abstract

POLANCO-ECHEVERRY, Diana Nayibe  and  RIOS-OSORIO, Leonardo Alberto. Biological and ecological aspects of hard ticks. Corpoica cienc. tecnol. agropecu. [online]. 2016, vol.17, n.1, pp.81-95. ISSN 0122-8706.

Hard ticks are blood-sucking ectoparasites of Ixodidae family. These mites have been always considered disrupting agents of livestock systems, where they are recognized as the cause of economic and production losses. However, their ecological role is important for the dynamic equilibrium of the production systems bovine meat or milk. Knowing their biology and ecology can shed light on the sanitary decisions made in relation to these organisms. This review article presents issues related to classification, characteristics, and life cycle of hard ticks and relations vector-parasite-host. In addition, it addresses the control of ectoparasites on conventional livestock systems and the implications that these models of intervention might have on agro-ecosystem.

Keywords : Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus; Cattle; Ectoparasites; Disease control.

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