Development of Methods to Control Cattle Fever Ticks on Nilgai

John Goolsby1, Nirbhay Singh2, Dave Hewitt3, Poncho Ortega4, Aaron Foley3, Tyler Campbell4,

Beto Perez de Leon5,

1USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Cattle Fever Tick Research Lab., Edinburg, TX; 2Guru Angad Dev Veterinary University, Punjab, India; 5Texas A&M Kingsville; 4East Foundation, San Antonio, TX; 3USDA-ARS Knipling Bushland U.S Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Kerrville, TX;

Presentation• Development of odor lures for nilgai

Desarollo de cebos de olores de nilgai• Biological control of CFT• Control biologico de garrapatas de fiebre• Control of weeds that favor survival of

CFT.• Malezas que ayudan garrapatas en

ambiente patogenico

Cattle Fever Ticks Hosts Texas & MexicoHospederos de garrapatas en Tejas & Mex

Nilgai

Deer

Cattle • Acaricides, vaccines• Acaricidas, vacuunas

• Medicated corn feeders• Maiz con acaricidas

• No known methods for treatment, No hay metodos

Neck rollers with permethrinRodillos de cuello con permethrin

Medicated corn feeder with ivermectinAlimentador de maíz medicado con ivermectin

Pound, JM, Miller, JA, George, JE, LeMeilleur, CA. 2000. The ‘‘4-Poster’’ passive topical treatment device to apply acaricide for controlling ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) feeding on white-taileddeer. J Med Entomol. 37:588–594.

Nilgai Biology• Make common latrines• Se hace letrinas communal• Attracted to offal to make latrine• Atrajo a despojos para letrina

Nilgai Latrines• Can we use this quirk in their biology to develop a lure?• ¿Podemos utilizar esta peculiaridad en su biología para

desarrollar un cebo?• Compare attractiveness of offal to other odors. Comparar

el atractivo de los despojos de otros olores.

• Lure would enable: Cebo se use con:1. Attract and treat technology for CFT

Atraer y tratar la tecnología2. More efficient culling/ Entresacando más eficiente

Nilgai Odor Lure Study/Estudia Olores Cebo• #2• Screwworm lure• Cebo gusano barrendor• Rotting flesh mimic• Carniza podrido mimic

• #4• Citronella oil/aceite• Strong smelling organic

compound/ Compuesto orgánico que huele fuerte

• #1 Nilgai offal/carniza

Comparison of natural and artificial lures for Nilgai Antelope (Boselaphus tragocamelus) in South Texas: Implications for Cattle Fever Tick Management. John A. Goolsby, J.A.,N. K. Singh, A. Ortega-S., Jr., D. G. Hewitt, T. A. Campbell, D. Wester b, and A. Perez de Leon, (Submitted)

• #3• Volatile Fatty Acids• Cow rumen• Vaca rumin

• Study Location/Localidad:• Santa Rosa Ranch• 18,000 acres, Brooks Co.• Moderate nilgai and

white-tailed deer densities, Moderadodensidades de venado y nilgai

• 10 transects transectas X 4 treatments/ tratados

• 4 cameras/treatment

Lure & Camera Set-UpCámara & Cebo

• Nilgai defecating at screwworm lure• Nilgai defecando en cebo barrendor

Nilgai female at screwworm lureNilgai hembra en cebo barrendor

Deer at lures/ Venado en cebos

Hourly Movement PatternsMovimiento de Animales de hora

Lure Total Nilgai White-tailed deer

Offal 10.2 ± 4.38 7.8 ± 3.87* 2.4 ± 1.18

Screwworm 4.8 ± 1.76 1.6 ± 0.42 3.2 ± 1.68

Volatile fatty acids 3.2 ± 1.25 1.2 ± 0.51 2.0 ± 1.11

Citronella oil 3.2 ± 1.20 0.4 ± 0.16 2.8 ± 1.18

Total Animals 214 110 104

Lure wise mean ± SE per transect (n =10)Cebo medios de transecta

Results of Lure Study/Resultados de Estudias de Cebo

• Nilgai offal most attractive & latrines formed at treatment sites/ Carniza as atractivo y letrines

• Screwworm #2, not significantly different from VFA and citronella, but only other treatment with latrine formation/ Cebo barrendor no differente, pero hay letrines en este tratado

• Next step, increase dose of screwworm lure• Proximo paso, evaluar mas química de barrendor• Compare other compounds from India/ Evaluar

otras compuestas de India

Presentation• Development of methods to control cattle

fever ticks (CFT) on nilgai antelope.• Metodos de control de garrapatas en nilgai• Biological control of CFT• Control biologico de garrapatas de fiebre• Pathogenic landscape weeds that favor

survival of CFT.• Malezas que ayudan garrapatas en

ambiente patogenico

Biological Control of Cattle Fever Tick• Exploration for parasitoids/nematodes:

–Rhipicephalus microplus• Philippines (Dr. Amalin – De La Salle Univ.)• India (Dr. Nambi, Chennai Vet Institute)• Uganda/Kenya (Dr. Molo, Uganda Minstry of Ag.)

–Rhipicephalus annulatus• Greece (Dr. Kashefi – USDA-ARS)• Turkey (Dr. Cristofaro, BBCA)• France (Dr. Chevillon – INRA)

Goolsby, J. A., F. D. Guerrero, J. Gaskin, K. G. Bendele, P. Azhahianambi, D. Amalin, M. Flores-Cruz, J. Kashefi, L. Smith, A. Racelis, R. K. Saini, and A. Perez de Leon. 2016. Molecular comparison of cattle fever ticks from native and introduced ranges with insights into optimal search areas for classical biological control agents. Southwestern Entomologist. 41: 595-604.

Native and Introduced Ranges of Cattle Fever Ticks

Red = introduced range of R. microplus, Pink = eradicated, Green = native rangePurple = introduced range R. annulatus, Blue = native range Yellow = native range of R. australensis. Stars = Biocontrol locations

Tick Parasitoid

• Ixodiphagous mysorensis• Tick parasitoids native to

Asia in native range of • R. microplus and nilgai

Tick Parasitoid Collection Method

Goolsby, J.A., D. T. Mays, G. L. Schuster, J. Kashefi, L. Smith, D. Amalin, M. Cruz-Flores, A. Racelis, and A.A Pérez de León. 2016. Rationale for Classical Biological Control of Cattle Fever Ticks and Proposed Methods for Field Collection of Natural Enemies. Subtropical Agriculture and Environments. 66:7-15.

Exploration in Asia for Classical Biological Control Agents of the Cattle Fever Tick

Potential agents: phorid flies, chalcid wasps, nematodes

Presentation• Development of methods to control cattle

fever ticks (CFT) on nilgai antelope.• Metodos de control de garrapatas en nilgai• Biological control of CFT• Control biologico de garrapatas de fiebre• Pathogenic landscape weeds that favor

survival of CFT.• Malezas que ayudan garrapatas en

ambiente patogenico

Pathogenic Landscape/ Paisaje Patogenico

Cattle fever tick

Infested hosts

Nilgai

Arundo donax

1. Arundo and Guineagrass enhance survival of tick/ malezas mejorar la supervivencia de garrapatas2. Transition back to native vegetation--better biological barrier to ticks/ Cambian a plantas nativas es un mejor barrera biologico a garrapatas

Racelis, A.E., R. B. Davey, J. A. Goolsby, A. A. Pérez de León, K. Varner, and R. Duhaime. 2012. Facilitative ecological interactions between invasive species: Arundo donax (Poaceae) stands as f i f i (A i i ) S

Native plants or weeds

Deer

Cattle

Exotic Weeds in Cattle Fever TickQuarantine Zone/ malezas exoticosen la zona de cuarentena

Arundo donaxGiant reed/ Carrizo

Tamarisk spp.Saltcedar/ pina bete

Megathrysus infestusGuineagrass/ guinea

Esteve-Gassent, M.D., Perez De Leon, A.A., Romero-Salas, D., Feria-Arroyo, T.P., Patino, R., Castro-Arellano, I., Gordillo-Perez, G., Auclair, A., Goolsby, J., Rodriguez-Vivas, R.I., Estrada-Franco, J.G. 2014. Pathogenic landscape of transboundary zoonotic diseases in the Mexico-U.S. border along the Rio Grande. Frontiers in Public Health. 2:177.

What changes in pathogenic landscape?¿Que cambia con el paisaje patogenico?

Ants and beetle predatorsMenos predadores de hormigas y ecarabajos

• Dramatically lower populations in exotic vegetation

Temperature & HumidityTemperature & humedad

• Cooler and more humid• Reduced mortality in exotic

vegetation

Candidate Biological Control Agents

Tetramesa romanaArundo waspHymenoptera: Eurytomidaelarvae feed on stems & side shoots (adult stingless)Released April 29, 2009

Rhizaspidiotus donacisArundo scaleHomoptera: Diaspididaescale insects feed on roots and side shootsReleased Dec. 17, 2010

Cryptonevra spp.Arundo flyDiptera: Chloropidaefly larvae feed on new stem shootsIn testing

Lasioptera donacisArundo leafminerDiptera: CeccidomyidaeLarvae are leaf sheath miners causing defoliationRelease Jan. 2017

Arundo scaleArundo wasp Arundo flyArundo leafminer

Moran, P.J., A. T. Vacek, A. E. Racelis, P. D. Pratt & J. A. Goolsby. 2017. Impact of the arundo wasp, Tetramesa romana on biomass of the invasive weed, Arundo donax and revegetation of the riparian habitat along the Rio Grande in Texas.

Results of biocontrolResumen de control biologico

• Arundo donax (carrizo cane) is declining and allowing native vegetation to return which supports robust population of tick predators. Hay menoscarrizo despues de las liberaciones de agentes de control biologico y mas predadores de garrapatas

• Guineagrass being investigated, exploration in the native range in Kenya for biocontrol agents.

• Estamos investigando control biologico de guinea, explorando en Kenya que donde es nativo

Summary/Resumen• Methods to control cattle fever ticks (CFT) on nilgai

antelope under evaluation.• Metodos de control de garrapatas en nilgai en

progresso• Biological control of CFT, exploration in native range

in India, Philippines• Control biologico de garrapatas de fiebre, explorando

en rango native en India, Pilipinas• Biological control of pathogenic landscape weed

Arundo donax progressing • Control biologico de maleza de paisaje patogenico

carrizo gigante en progresso patogenico