2005/09/01 by Filipe Dantas‐Torres, Filipe Dantas-Torres, Gabriella Testini +8
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Computer Science · Immunology and Microbiology · Medicine · #Animal ecology #Biology #Computer network #Computer science #Database #Ecology #Endangered species #Energy Efficient Wireless Sensor Networks #Entomology #Habitat #Hyalomma #Insect and Pesticide Research #Ixodes ricinus #Ixodidae #Mobile Ad Hoc Networks #Mobile ad hoc network #Nymph #Opportunistic and Delay-Tolerant Networks #Parasitiformes #Rhipicephalus sanguineus #Tick #Tick infestation #Vector-borne infectious diseases #Veterinary medicine #Viral Infections and Vectors #Zoology
paper · open access · doi:10.1007/s10493-010-9387-3
published in Journal of Digital Information Management 3(3), 166-172 (Springer Science+Business Media)
openalex publication_date 2005/09/01 · crossref created 2010/08/14 · crossref issued 2010/08/15 · crossref published 2010/08/15 · crossref published-online 2010/08/15 · crossref published-print 2011/01/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · crossref deposited 2019/05/29 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11 · crossref indexed 2026/08/04
The Italian hare (Lepus corsicanus) is an endangered species whose natural populations have decreased in recent years. This study's objective was to identify ticks infesting hares and their habitats in a wildlife reserve in southern Italy. In June 2009, ticks were collected by dragging in three transects set in a meadow habitat within an enclosure inhabited by hares and in three similar transects outside this enclosure. Fifty-five ticks were collected by dragging, being 54 inside and 1 outside the enclosure. Ticks were identified as Hyalomma marginatum (34 males, 17 females), Dermacentor marginatus (2 males, 1 female), and Rhipicephalus bursa (1 female). In September 2009, ticks were collected from 17 Italian hares and identified as Ixodes ricinus (2 larvae, 45 nymphs, 35 males, 37 females), Rhipicephalus turanicus (2 males, 1 nymph), and Hyalomma sp. (165 nymphs). PCR amplification and sequencing of a partial region of the 12S rDNA gene of Hyalomma nymphs allowed their identification as H. marginatum. This study suggests that host presence is a factor determining the level of environmental tick infestation as well as the free-living tick species in the study area and that Italian hares are hosts for I. ricinus and H. marginatum. Studies to assess whether these ticks could limit the survival and fitness of Italian hares and affect their conservation status are needed. Moreover, it is necessary to investigate whether these ticks are infected with pathogens of medical and veterinary concern.