Rhipicephalus_appendiculatus
Rhipicephalus appendiculatus
Species of tick
Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, the brown ear tick,[1] is a hard tick[2] found in Africa where it spreads the parasite Theileria parva, the cause of East Coast fever in cattle.[3] The tick has a three-host life-cycle, spending around 10% of its life feeding on animals.[2] The most common host species include buffalo, cattle, and large antelope,[2] but R. appendiculatus is also found on other animals, such as hares, dogs, and warthogs.[4]
Rhipicephalus appendiculatus is found in the center, east and south-east of Africa,[4] in areas with at least 24 in (610 mm) of rainfall each year.[2]
R. appendiculatus is 1.8 to 4.4 mm (0.071 to 0.173 in) long, and is a dark reddish-brown or brown color.[1]
The sex pheromone used by female ticks to attract males for mating consists of two chemicals; phenol and p-cresol.[5]