PARASITES OF DOMESTIC AND WILD ANIMALS IN SOUTH-AFRICA .30. ECTOPARASITES OF KUDUS IN THE EASTERN TRANSVAAL LOWVELD AND THE EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE

Sets of four kudus were shot and examined for arthropod parasites at a pproximately monthly intervals from April 1981 to March 1983 in the so uthern part of the Kruger National Park, eastern Transvaal Lowveld. Th ese animals harboured 10 ixodid tick species of which Boophilus decolo ratus followed by Amblyomma hebraeum were the most abundant. The seaso nal abundances of these ticks and of Amblyomma marmoreum, Rhipicephalu s appendiculatus, Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi and Rhipicephalus zamb eziensis were determined. The kudus were also infested with 3 lice and 1 louse fly species, as well as the nymphs of a pentastomid. Sixteen kudus were shot in the Andries Vosloo Kudu Reserve, eastern Cape Provi nce and 9 on an adjacent farm. These animals were infested with 12 tic k species. A. hebraeum followed by Rhipicephalus glabroscutatum were t he most abundant on kudus in the reserve and R. glabroscutatum followe d by Haemaphysalis silacea on the animals on the farm. The seasonal ab undances of A. hebraeum, A. marmoreum, H. silacea, R. appendiculatus, R. glabroscutatum and a Rhipicephalus sp. (near R. oculatus) were dete rmined on the kudus in the reserve. The kudus were also infested with 3 lice and 1 louse fly species. Two kudus examined in the Addo Elephan t National Park were infested with 6 tick, 1 louse and 1 louse fly spe cies.