Ecological studies on the non-parasitic larval stages of some tick species in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa (Acarina : ixodidae)

Abstract

"Ticks have already been studied in our country and abroad. Progress in the field of taxonomy has probably been the most rapid and has culminated in a large number of papers and excellent monographs, but much more remains to be done. To produce an overall picture of the factors influencing the behaviour of the tick under natural conditions, studies have to be conducted on tick ecology and experimental physiology. We still have a lack of knowledge of host specificity, the selection of feeding sites on hosts and the nature of resistance to attacks by ticks. Because of the varied habits of different species of ticks, the first essential prerequisite is an adequate knowledge of their biology." (Jansen 1969). The above words sum up the position of research on ticks in southern Africa at the present time.