HOSTS 



Cattle (All references). Rarely giant eland and domestic 

 donkey (Sudan records above). In America, other domestic animals, 

 deer, and buffalo have been reported as infrequent hosts (Cooley 

 1%6). 



BIOLOGY 



Life Cycle 



Like other boophilids, the Texas fever tick is a single host 

 parasite. Its life cycle has not been studied in Africa, where it 

 is not known to occur under cold conditions. 



After dropping from the host, the female commences oviposition 

 in about three or fovr days b\it after twenty to forty days in 

 winter (southern United States). The oviposition period ranges 

 from eight or nine days in svmmer to 42 days in winter. The number 

 of eggs average 1911, with a maximum of 3806. With abundant mois- 

 ture, eggs may hatch in as little as from 17 to 21 days, but up 

 to iU. days is more common. Winter incubation may require between 

 five and six ncnths. A few hours after hatching, larvae collect 

 in masses at the tip of grass, and may remain alive from 49 to 

 159 days awaiting a host. Once an animal is found larvae prefer- 

 entially attach to the legs, belly, or dewlap, but if numerous 

 they are found everywhere on the body. The larval-nyraphal molt 

 occurs seven to twelve days later and nymphs molt to adults five 

 to ten days afterwards. Females feed for from four to fourteen 

 days, during which tine they mate, and then drop to the ground, 

 oviposit, and die. These data are extracted from the very com- 

 plete work of Hunter and Hooker (1907) in the United States. 



Ecology 



Most African specimens are from collections containing more 

 numerous B. de color atus , with the exception that during the rainy 

 season the numbers of B. aiinulatus have in some instances exceeded 

 those of B. decoloratus. In Cameroons (Rageau 1953B), this tick 

 is less common than B. decoloratus but both species are found to- 

 gether. Our first suspicion, that this might be a species ac- 



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