The Spinose Ear-Tick. 647 



THE SPINOSE EAR-TICK. 



Practical Suggestions for Suppression. 



By Colin Stoi?v, Baddatord, Fort Beaufort. 



Reininted from the Farmer's Weekly, 10th December, 1919, p. 

 1977, icith comments by C. P. Lounsbmy, Chief, Division of 

 Entomology, Deportment of Agriculture. 



AVhile spending* some time in the Aliwal North District last year the 

 writer amused himself with the study of the spinose ear-tick, a com- 

 paratively recent introduction into this country and a most obnoxious 

 stock pest. As this tick and its habits are not so widely known as 

 our coinmon cattle ticks the following" notes may be of interest : — 



The spinose ear-tick must not be confused with the red tick, 

 whose first two stages are passed in the ears of cattle. It takes its 

 names from minute bristles, or spines, which cover the body when a 

 nymph, the form most familiar to those who know the tick. (For 

 those who have forgotten, a tick's life is divided into three stages — 

 the larval, the nymphal, and the adult). The tick is unlike other 

 cattle ticks in that there is no shield on the back, fit resembles the 

 tampan in appearance, and has its mouth parts on the underside of 

 the body at the extreme forword end. It is found on cattle and sheep, 

 and less commonly on other domestic animals : its feeding ground is 

 the ear only and nowhere else.* Boys who come much in contact 

 with cattle and the cattle kraal are also liable to infection, and during 

 my short experience with the tick two young natives had to be treated. 

 The tick causes considerable discomfort within the ear and may be so 

 deep seated as to be out of sight. If not suspected, the pain and 

 subsequent abscess would he difficult to account for. The larva being 

 extremely small and greyish-white in colour can easily gain access to 

 the ear unnoticed and unfelt, and it may be several days bdfore its 

 presence is suspected. 



* Mr. Story has since learned that an occasional ppecimen attaches and feeds ou the 

 skin, at least "in the case of woolled sheep. When visiting a Colesburg District farm, he 

 found in two instances a nearly full-grown nymph to be the cause of a sheep biting at its 

 side as if irritated. His examination disclosed no swelling where the tick was attached but 

 the presence of excrement in the surrounding wool indicated that the specimen had been 

 located for sorne time where it was found. — C, P. L. 



