Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Distribution and Climbing Behaviour of Rhipicephalus Appendiculatus Neumann on Grass Stems

  • Research Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The distribution of Rhipicephalus Appendiculatus on Setaria sphacelata flowerheads was investigated. Adult tick counts in a paddock, heavily infested with ticks for experimental purposes, revealed an aggregated distribution by deviating significantly from the expected Poisson distribution, but producing a good fit to the expected negative binomial distribution. A higher proportion of the ticks were on old dry flowerheads than on young green ones. Tests carried out in the laboratory confirmed the marked preference for old flowerheads and the aggregated pattern of distribution. The tick counts in the field revealed no sexual aggregation, though the total number of females collected was significantly higher than that of the males.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bliss C. I. and Fisher R. A. (1953) Fitting the negative binomial distribution to biological data. Biometrics 9, 176–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Browning T. O. (1976) The aggregation of questing ticks, Rhipicephalus pulchellus on grass stems, with observations on Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. Physiol. Ent. 1, 107–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacLeod J. and Donnelly J. (1962) Microgeographic aggregations in blowfly populations. J. Anim. EcoL 31, 525–543.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ripley E. A. and Saugier B. (1978) Biophysics of a natural grassland: Evaporation. J. appi EcoL 15, 459–479.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor L. R., Woiwod I. P. and Perry J. N. (1978) The density-dependence of spatial behaviour and the rarity of randomness. J. Anim. Ecol. 47, 383–406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wadley F. M. (1950) Notes of the form and distribution of insect and plant populations. Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 43, 581–586.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waters W. E. (1959) A quantitative measure of aggregation of insects. J. econ. Ent. 52, 1180–1184

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya

    J. W. Chiera

Authors
  1. J. W. Chiera
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chiera, J.W. The Distribution and Climbing Behaviour of Rhipicephalus Appendiculatus Neumann on Grass Stems. Int J Trop Insect Sci 6, 213–215 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400006664

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400006664

Key Words

Search

Navigation