Elsewhere, a nimber of biological studies on this species 

 have been reported. Among these are Sapre (1940) for high alti- 

 tvides in India, Tate (19^1) for Puerto Rico, Legg (1930) for 

 Australia. 



Ecology 



As already stated, B. nicroplus occurs only locally in Africa 

 but where present it may"~be very conmon. In Northern Province of 

 Nyasaland it is more numerous on cattle than B. de color atus (WL!L. 

 son 19^6). In the Malagasy Region, B. raicroplus is largely a low- 

 land species with scattered foci around urban highland localities 

 (Buck 19/+oA,C). In Africa it survives best in natural forest 

 conditions (Theiler 19A3B). 



Early in the centviry, the range of B. microplus in eastern 

 and southern Africa was wider than it now is, probably because of 

 more frequent importation of infested cattle from Madagascar at 

 that time. Climatic conditions have reduced these Dopulations 

 to their present more localired foci (Theiler 19436) but exten- 

 sions of these infestations shoiild be anticipated. This tick was 

 introduced into southern Africa after the 1896 rinderpest out- 

 break (Theiler and Robinson 1954). 



REMARKS 



A misshapen specimen has been described and illustrated by 

 Santos Dias (1955A). My collection contains two gynandromorphs . 



The synonymous B. aus trails Fuller, 1899, was described in 

 South African literaTvir'eT Fuller also gave a differential diag- 

 nosis for the three forms presently recognized as comprising 

 this genus. 



DISEASE RELATIONS 



Unstudied in Africa. The following references are for the 

 Americas, Asia, and Australia. 



_ 322 



