First report of Hyalomma marginatum isaaci Sharif (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae) from the union of Myanmar, with a concurrent collection of H. Hussaini Sharif

3 Pages·2002·1.5 MB·

by  Richard G Robbins

PROC. HNTOMOL. SOC. WASH.
104(4). 2002. pp. 1061-1063
Note
First Report of Hya/oninui nHiri>in(itnni isnaci Sharif (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae)
from the Union of Myanniar. with a Concurrent Collection of H. hiissaini Sharif
Though members of the biomedically forest and thorn scrub associations de-
important tick genus Hyalonuua are chielly scribed by .Stamp and Lord (1923). Domi-
associated with the vast xeric biomes ofthe nant trees include three species of Acacia
southern Palearctic and Afrotropical Zoo- {A. arahica (Lamarck) Willdenow, A. cat-
geographic Regions (Hoogstraal 1973), two echu (L. filius) Willdenow, and A. leucoph-
species—//. Iiussaini Sharif and //. margin- loea Willdenow), Tectona hamiltoniana
atum Koch-have occasionally been report- Wallich, Terminalia oliveri Brandis, and the
ed from continental southeastern Asia (i.e., exotic Prosopisjuliflora (Swartz) Candolle.
the Oriental Zoogeographic Region), where Dense stands of grasses, such as Apliida
they apparently occur as small, widely dis- mutica L., Diectomis fastigiata (Swartz)
junct populations in areas that are prone to Palisot de Beauvois, and Grewia microcos
dryness for at least a portion of the year L., occur in open areas. Patches of Indaing
(Kaiser and Hoogstraal 1964, Petney and forest, characterized by Dipterocarpus spp.,
Keirans 1995). Between 17 and 29 Novem- T. hamiltoniana, Xylia dolabriformis Ben-
ber 2000, one of us (SGP) participated in a tham, and scattered clumps of bamboo
herpetological expedition to the Minzon- (Dendrocalamus strictus (Roxburgh) Nees),
taung Wildlife Sanctuary (MWS), located occupy the upper slopes and deep ravines
within the dry zone of central Myanmar on the eastern face of Minzon Taung. Some
(formerly Burma), approximately 60 km areas, especially along the sanctuary's
southwest of Mandalay in Nwahtogyi northwestern and southwestern borders,
Township, Myin Cyan District, Mandalay continue to be intensively grazed by sheep
Division. On 24 November, at the end of and goats, and the lack of evident forage
the day's fieldwork, SGP and an associate suggests that livestock numbers exceed sus-
each removed from his clothing a single tainable levels. Agricultural lands centered
male/female pair of Hyalomma: these were on several villages sunound MWS, with the
subsequently identified as //. hiissaini and result that little natural vegetation remains
H. marginatum isaaci Sharif, the latter a outside sanctuary boundaries.
new record for Myanmar. Of particular importance to studies of
MWS
Established in 1998-1999 for the protec- tick distribution in is the climate of
tion of Eld's deer, Cennis eldii M'Clelland, central Myanmar, an area that lies within
MWS cuiTcntly comprises 2,260 ha and is the rain shadow ofthe Arakan Yoma Moun-
dominated by Minzon Taung, an isolated tains (Robbins and Piatt 2001) and is there-
hill range with a maximum elevation of398 fore exceptionally dry. An attenuated mon-
m. The surrounding lowlands are 200—225 soonal wet season, marked by erratic show-
m
above sea level and generally flat, except ers, moderate temperatures and overcast
for a few deep gorges cut by watercourses. skies, extends from June to October, fol-
Previously, this area had been largely de- lowed by a prolonged dry season that lasts
forested by burning, fuelwood extraction, from October to late May (Terra 1944, Rob-
and livestock grazing, but the vegetation is erts et al. 1968, Scott 1989). Annual pre-
rapidly regenerating from stump sprouts, cipitation in central Myanmar ranges from
and average canopy heights now exceed 4 50 to 100 cm (Terra 1944), MWS itselfbe-
MWS
m. The flora of is similar to the thorn ing astride the 30 in. (76 cm) isohyet of
,
1062 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
Stamp and Lord (1923). There are no per- distributed throughout the humid tropics of
manently flowing streams in MWS, and southeastern Asia and hint at the possible
surface waters of all kinds are extremely topographic provenance of Minzontaung
limited during much of the year. In addi- specimens.
tion, central Myanmar experiences high di- During the Minzontaung expedition, col-
urnal temperatures during the dry season lectors fanned out over the entire sanctuary,
(maximum 43°C), and low nocturnal tem- some remaining in the lowlands, while oth-
peratures over the winter months (January- ers hiked into high country. Though daily
February, minimum 4°C) (Food and Agri- collector itineraries are unavailable, it may
culture Organization/United Nations Devel- be that our pair of H. hussaini transferred
opment Programme 1982). to the clothing ofa collector working in dry
The prevailing climate, topography, and lowland scrub. However, H. marginatum
human land use patterns in and around isaaci may only have been encountered by
MWS
are reminiscent of South Asian con- entering the somewhat moist, high-altitude
ditions well west of Myanmar, where H. forests on Minzon Taung proper, where en-
hussaini and H. marginatum isaaci are reg- vironmental conditions approximate those
ular components ofthe acarofauna. Though at Vietnamese localities that have yielded
previously reported from central Myanmar, related representatives of the H. margina-
H. hussaini chiefly occurs in India and Pak- tum complex.
istan (Kaiser and Hoogstraal 1964), most Our collections of H. hussaini (RML
Indian collections having come from the 123220) and H. marginatum isaaci (RML
north-central and northeastern states west of 123221) have been deposited in the U.S.
Bangladesh (e.g., Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, National Tick Collection, Institute of Ar-
Madras, Maharashtra, Orissa) (Sharif thropodology and Parasitology, Georgia
1928). Collections have also been made in Southern University, Statesboro. We warm-
Gujarat State on the Arabian Sea (Hiregau- ly thank the Wildlife Conservation Society,
dar 1968). Interestingly, there appear to be Bronx, New York, for supporting our field-
no records of this xerophilous tick from In- work in Myanmar, and the Myanmar For-
dia's humid easternmost states, which lie estry Department for granting permission to
between Bangladesh and Myanmar (Gee- conduct research in MWS. Thanks also to
varghese and Dhanda 1987). ChiefWarden U Khim Ag Soe and his wife
Hyalomma marginatum isaaci is a wide- for their generous hospitality throughout
spread South Asian tick, occurring from Af- our stay. Field assistance was provided by
ghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir and Nepal Daw Aye Aye Cho, U Tin Lwin, U Win Ko
south through India to Sri Lanka (Kaiser Ko, Daw Khin Myo Myo, Daw Lay Lay
and Hoogstraal 1964). Unlike H. hussaini, Khaing, and Daw Thanda Swe. For logis-
H. marginatum isaaci has been recorded tical support and several critical references,
from Arunachal Pradesh State (formerly the we are grateful to U Saw Tun Khaing, U
North-East Frontier Agency), bordering Thanh Minh. Stephan Johnson, and Thomas
Myanmar (Dhanda and Rao 1964), so its R. Rainwater. Portions ofthis research were
MWS
presence at is less surprising. More- funded by National Institute of Allergy and
over, occasional reports from central and Infectious Diseases grant AI 40729 to JEK.
southeastern Vietnam of specimens closely
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