engleski

Diversity and ecology of Ticks (Acari:Ixodidae) infesting wild boar in different bio-geographical regions of Croatia

Ticks (Acari, Ixodidae) are haematophagous ectoparasites of wild and domesticate mammals, birds and reptiles. They are an important vector of many zoonotic pathogens of viral and bacterial origin that also affects human health. Climate change is having impact on seasonality in life cycle and shift in the climatic niche related to latitudinal and altitudinal range in Europe. Wild Boar (Sus scrofa L.) as a game animal with wide range in Croatia can host populations of ticks. Sampling of ticks were done on hunted wild boars in four hunting grounds, located in two different biogeographical regions of Croatia: Spačva, Nova Gradiška and Voćin (Pannonian region), and Slunj (Alpine/Dinaric region). A total of 118 specimens was collected on 18 infested wild boars. The most abundant species was Dermacentor reticulatus (90.68%), followed by Ixodes ricinus (6.78%) and Ixodes hexagonus (2.54%). The largest number of ticks was in adult stage (96.61%), and 3.39% in the nymphal stage. An average infestation rate was 7 ticks per individual, and the highest value, 11 ticks, was recorded from the Spačva hunting ground. Dermacentor reticulatus was not present in Slunj hunting ground, but it was dominant (95.54%) in the lowland hunting ground in Spačva

tick ; wild boar ; habitat ; Croatia

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