Seasonal occurrence of ixodid ticks on the vegetation in the northern part of Okinawajima Island, Japan

• Published in: Medical Entomology and Zoology Vol. 72; no. 1; pp. 27 - 30
• Main Authors: Azama, Yasuhito, Fukuchi, Yoshimune, Kuba, Yumani, Kyan, Hisako
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Tokyo The Japan Society of Medical Entomology and Zoology 25.03.2021; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Haemaphysalis; Herbivores; ixodid tick; Nymphs; Okinawajima Island; seasonal occurrence; Vegetation; Japan
• ISSN: 0424-7086; 2185-5609
• DOI: 10.7601/mez.72.27

We collected ixodid ticks by flagging on vegetation in a natural forest located in the northern part of Okinawajima Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, during the period from June 2017 to June 2018. Flagging was performed at two sites by three persons for 1 hour per site. A total of 3,326 ticks (3,012 larvae, 285 nymphs, and 29 adults) collected were the following two genera and five species: Amblyomma geoemydae, Amblyomma testudinarium, Haemaphysalis hystricis, Haemaphysalis formosensis, and Haemaphysalis flava. The three predominant species: A. geoemydae, A. testudinarium, and H. hystricis differed in seasonal occurrence. A. geoemydae was not collected during January and February. A. testudinarium was collected nearly all seasons, and most of the individuals were nymphs. H. hystricis larvae were collected almost throughout the year, while the adults and nymphs were collected only during the period from January to August.