First detection of Amblyomma lepidum (Dönitz, 1909) in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Herewith we present the first detection of Amblyomma lepidum (Dönitz, 1909) on cattle in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s smallholder farmers rely heavily on their livestock, mainly cattle and goats. Even though great importance is placed on cattle farming, no systematic surveillance of tick and tick-borne diseases is currently being conducted in the country. Forming part of the Amblyomma genus, A. lepidum is a brightly ornate tick with great vector potential, which could have harmful effects on cattle and cattle farming in Zimbabwe. This report documents the presence of both male and female A. lepidum ticks that were morphologically identified, and with the use of two ribosomal genes, were molecularly characterised as A. lepidum. Hypotheses can be made as to how this tick was introduced into Zimbabwe; however, its presence highlights the need for a systematic surveillance programme to track not only new introductions, such as the aforementioned, but the current distribution of this tick population in Zimbabwe.