Prevalence of ixodid tick infestation of sheep in the Arasbaran region of Iran

This survey was carried out in sheep herds of Arasbaran region in northwest of Iran. The aims of this survey were assessment of occurrence hard ticks on sheep in this region and speciation and identification of detached ticks from sheep. In addition determination of tick distribution on sheep body surface was studied. In this study 330 sheep were examined and ticks from infested animals were collected. In parasitological laboratory speciation of ticks were done by stereomicroscope and using of tick identification keys. Overall 525 ticks were collected from 132 infested sheep and speciation of these tick showed 4 genera and 6 species including: Hyalomma marginatum marginatum (65.33 %), Rhipicephalus bursa (26.66 %), Haemaphysalis choldokovsky (5.90 %), Dermacentor marginatus (1.71 %), Haemaphysalis punctata (0.19 %) and Hyalomma excavatum (0.19 %). The distribution of ticks on sheep body surface was as follow, according to its frequencies: tail (42.66 %), groin (25.71 %), axilla (24.19 %), neck (5.71 %) and sternum (1.71 %). It was concluded that H. m. marginatum was the dominant tick in sheep of Arasbaran region.