Rhipicephalus microplus

{{Short description|Species of tick}} {{Speciesbox | image = Rhipicephalus-microplus-female-male.jpg |image_caption = female and male | taxon = Rhipicephalus microplus | authority = (Canestrini, 1888) | synonyms = *''Boophilus annulatus australis'' Lahille, 1905 * ''Boophilus annulatus calcaratus'' Sharif, 1928 * ''Boophilus annulatus caudatus'' Lahille, 1905 * ''Boophilus annulatus microdus'' Arnold, 1935 (misapplied name) * ''Boophilus annulatus microplus'' Lahille, 1905 * ''Boophilus australis'' Stiles & Hassall, 1901 * ''Boophilus caudatus'' Lahille, 1905 * ''Boophilus intraoculatus'' Minning, 1936 * ''Boophilus microplus'' Lahille, 1905 * ''Boophilus microplus annulatus'' Floch, 1956 * ''Boophilus (Margaropus) annulatus australis'' Toumanoff, 1944 * ''Boophilus (Palpoboophilus) minningi'' Kishida, 1936 * ''Boophilus (Uroboophilus) caudatus'' Minning, 1934 * ''Boophilus (Uroboophilus) cyclops'' Minning, 1934 * ''Boophilus (Uroboophilus) distans'' Minning, 1934 * ''Boophilus (Uroboophilus) fallax'' Minning, 1934 * ''Boophilus (Uroboophilus) krijgsmani'' Minning, 1934 * ''Boophilus (Uroboophilus) longiscutatus'' Minning, 1934 * ''Boophilus (Uroboophilus) microplus'' Minning, 1934 * ''Boophilus (Uroboophilus) rotundiscutatus'' Minning, 1934 * ''Boophilus (Uroboophilus) sharifi'' Minning, 1934 * ''Haemaphysalis micropla'' Canestrini, 1888 * ''Ixodes australis'' Ruotsalainen, 1903 (misapplied name) * ''Margaropus annulatus argentinus'' Castellani & Chalmers, 1910 * ''Margaropus annulatus australis'' Newstead, 1909 * ''Margaropus annulatus caudatus'' Neumann, 1911 * ''Margaropus annulatus mexicanus'' Macias Valadez, 1923 * ''Margaropus annulatus microphilus'' Castellani & Chalmers, 1919 * ''Margaropus annulatus microplus'' Rohr, 1909 * ''Margaropus australis'' Manson, 1907 * ''Margaropus caudatus'' Castellani & Chalmers, 1910 * ''Margaropus microphilus'' Castellani & Chalmers, 1910 (misapplied name) * ''Margaropus micropla'' Neumann, 1911 * ''Margaropus microplus'' Hunter & Hooker, 1907 * ''Palpoboophilus brachyuris'' Kishida, 1939 * ''Palpoboophilus minningi'' Kishida, 1939 * ''Rhipicaphalus annulatus caudatus'' Neumann, 1897 * ''Rhipicaphalus australis'' Fuller, 1899 * ''Rhipicephalus annulatus argentinensis'' Neumann, 1901 * ''Rhipicephalus annulatus argentinus'' Neumann, 1901 * ''Rhipicephalus annulatus australis'' Neumann, 1901 * ''Rhipicephalus annulatus caudatus'' Neumann, 1901 * ''Rhipicephalus annulatus microplus'' Neumann, 1901 * ''Rhipicephalus annulatus microplus'' Neumann, 1901 * ''Rhipicephalus caudatus'' Fuller, 1899 * ''Rhipicephalus microplus'' Canestrini, 1890 * ''Rhipicephalus'' (''Boophilus'') ''argentinus'' Neumann, 1904 * ''Rhipicephalus'' (''Boophilus'') ''microplus'' * ''Uroboophilus australis'' Kishida, 1939 * ''Uroboophilus caudatus'' Kishida, 1939 * ''Uroboophilus cyclops'' Schulze, 1936 * ''Uroboophilus distans'' Schulze, 1935 * ''Uroboophilus fallax'' Kishida, 1939 * ''Uroboophilus indicus'' Minning, 1936 * ''Uroboophilus krijgsmani'' Kishida, 1939 * ''Uroboophilus longiscutatus'' Kishida, 1939 * ''Uroboophilus microplus'' Kishida, 1939 * ''Uroboophilus occidentalis'' Minning, 1936 * ''Uroboophilus rotundiscutatus'' Kishida, 1939 * ''Uroboophilus sharifi'' Kishida, 1939 * ''Uroboophilus sinensis'' Schulze, 1935 }} The '''Asian blue tick''' ('''''Rhipicephalus'' (''Boophilus'') ''microplus''''', '''''Rhipicephalus microplus''''', or '''''Boophilus microplus''''') is an economically important tick that parasitises a variety of livestock and wild mammal species,<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last=Spickler|first=Anna Rovid|year=2022|title=''Rhipicephalus'' (''Boophilus'') ''microplus'' and ''R. australis''|url=https://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/boophilus_microplus.pdf|access-date=20 March 2024|via=The Center for Food Security & Public Health, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine}}</ref> especially cattle, on which it is the most economically significant ectoparasite in the world.<ref name="Melt" /> It is known as the Australian cattle tick, southern cattle tick, Cuban tick, Madagascar blue tick, and Puerto Rican Texas fever tick.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/details/species/id/f40fa9d67094cc7a3849b802c8485470 | title=Species Details: ''Rhipicephalus microplus'' Canestrini, 1888 | publisher=Catalogue of Life | access-date=11 February 2017}}</ref>

It is classified as a hard tick in the family Ixodidae. It is a small teardrop-shaped arachnid with a hardened plate called the scutum covering its head. Males are entirely covered in scutum on their backs with additional plates called festoons along their sides. The body can be brown or pale in nymphs and darkens as the tick matures. Adults have eight cream-colored legs.<ref name=":0"/>

In ''R. microplus'' the hypostome has a hexagonal base (basis capitulum) which can be used as an identifying characteristic. Ticks may be identified by the arrangement of hair-like structures called setae. In ''R. microplus'' the setae are arranged in rows of two or three along the tick's body behind the scutum.<ref name=":0" />

==Parasitism== ''Rhipicephalus microplus'' is best known for being a cattle parasite. However, it has also been discovered in a number of other animal hosts such as domestic water buffalo, wild and domestic goats, horses, wild pigs, various rat species, and humans.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last1=Tan |first1=Li Peng |last2=Hamdan |first2=Ruhil Hayati |last3=Hassan |first3=Basripuzi Nurul Hayyan |last4=Reduan |first4=Mohd Farhan Hanif |last5=Okene |first5=Ibrahim Abdul-Azeez |last6=Loong |first6=Shih Keng |last7=Khoo |first7=Jing Jing |last8=Samsuddin |first8=Ahmad Syazwan |last9=Lee |first9=Seng Hua |date=July 2021 |title=''Rhipicephalus'' Tick: A Contextual Review for Southeast Asia |journal=Pathogens |language=en |volume=10 |issue=7 |page=821 |doi=10.3390/pathogens10070821 |issn=2076-0817 |pmc=8308476 |pmid=34208961 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

''R. microplus'' serves as a vector for numerous pathogens, most notably ''Babesia bigemina'' and ''B. bovis''. ''B. bigemina'' and ''B. bovis'' are responsible for bovine babesiosis which is ranked as the most economically important arthropod-transmitted illness in cattle. Bovine babesiosis is characterized by anemia, fever, and potentially multiple organ failure.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Howell |first1=Jeanne M. |last2=Ueti |first2=Massaro W. |last3=Palmer |first3=Guy H. |last4=Scoles |first4=Glen A. |last5=Knowles |first5=Donald P. |date=October 2007 |title=Persistently Infected Calves as Reservoirs for Acquisition and Transovarial Transmission of ''Babesia bovis'' by ''Rhipicephalus'' (''Boophilus'') ''microplus'' |journal=Journal of Clinical Microbiology |language=en |volume=45 |issue=10 |pages=3155–3159 |doi=10.1128/JCM.00766-07 |issn=0095-1137 |pmc=2045367 |pmid=17687016}}</ref> This results in weight loss and lower milk production in infected cattle and therefore, massive economic losses in countries like Brazil where 80% of the cattle population is infected.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Matysiak |first1=A. |last2=Dudko |first2=P. |last3=Dudek |first3=K. |last4=Dudek |first4=M. |last5=Junkuszew |first5=A. |last6=Tryjanowski |first6=P. |date=2016-09-13 |title=The occurrence of pathogens in ''Rhipicephalus microplus'' ticks from cattle in Madagascar |journal=Veterinární Medicína |volume=61 |issue=9 |pages=516–523 |doi=10.17221/59/2016-VETMED |doi-access=free}}</ref> ''R. microplus'' has also been shown to be a vector for ''Ehrlichia ruminantium'' in West Africa.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Biguezoton |first1=Abel |last2=Noel |first2=Valerie |last3=Adehan |first3=Safiou |last4=Adakal |first4=Hassane |last5=Dayo |first5=Guiguigbaza-Kossigan |last6=Zoungrana |first6=Sébastien |last7=Farougou |first7=Souaïbou |last8=Chevillon |first8=Christine |date=2016-06-22 |title=''Ehrlichia ruminantium'' infects ''Rhipicephalus microplus'' in West Africa |journal=Parasites & Vectors |volume=9 |issue=1 |page=354 |doi=10.1186/s13071-016-1651-x |issn=1756-3305 |pmc=4918008 |pmid=27334439 |doi-access=free }}</ref> ''E. ruminantium'' causes fluid buildup around the heart in cattle and other species, a condition with an 80% mortality rate, causing significant economic damage in infected areas.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Allsopp |first=Basil A. |date=2010-02-10 |title=Natural history of ''Ehrlichia ruminantium'' |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304401709005470 |journal=Veterinary Parasitology |series=Ticks and Tick-borne Pathogens |language=en |volume=167 |issue=2 |pages=123–135 |doi=10.1016/j.vetpar.2009.09.014 |pmid=19836892 |issn=0304-4017|hdl=2263/16002 |hdl-access=free |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Distribution== ''Rhipicephalus microplus'' was originally found in the tropical and sub-tropical forests of India. However, due to the centuries-long movement of cattle around Europe, ''R. microplus'' has dramatically spread from its original range, making it to the United States between four and five centuries ago.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Ali |first1=Abid |last2=Parizi |first2=Luís Fernando |last3=Ferreira |first3=Beatriz Rossetti |last4=Vaz Junior |first4=Itabajara da Silva |date=2016-04-19 |title=A revision of two distinct species of ''Rhipicephalus'': ''R. microplus'' and ''R. australis'' |journal=Ciência Rural |language=en |volume=46 |issue=7 |pages=1240–1248 |doi=10.1590/0103-8478cr20151416 |issn=0103-8478|doi-access=free |hdl=10183/147176 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last1=Giles |first1=John R. |last2=Peterson |first2=A. Townsend |last3=Busch |first3=Joseph D. |last4=Olafson |first4=Pia U. |last5=Scoles |first5=Glen A. |last6=Davey |first6=Ronald B. |last7=Pound |first7=J. Mathews |last8=Kammlah |first8=Diane M. |last9=Lohmeyer |first9=Kimberly H. |last10=Wagner |first10=David M. |date=2014-04-17 |title=Invasive potential of cattle fever ticks in the southern United States |journal=Parasites & Vectors |volume=7 |issue=1 |page=189 |doi=10.1186/1756-3305-7-189 |pmid=24742062 |pmc=4021724 |issn=1756-3305|doi-access=free }}</ref> ''R. microplus'' is generally found between 32°N and 32°S, a region strongly overlapping with major cattle breeding countries and territories.<ref name=":3" />

Nearly a cosmopolitan species, Asian blue tick is found specifically in Costa Rica, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Argentina, Colombia, Cote D'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands (U.S.), Zambia and Zimbabwe.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afrivip.org/sites/default/files/Ticks-importance/rhipicephalus.html | title=''Rhipicephalus'' spp. | access-date=11 February 2017}}</ref>

Tick populations in Australia once thought to belong to ''R. microplus'' are now recognized to belong to ''R. australis'', which was reinstated as a sibling species of ''R. microplus'' in 2012.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Estrada-Peña|first1=A.|first2=J.M.|last2=Venzal|first3=S.|last3=Nava|first4=A.|last4=Mangold|first5=A.A.|last5=Guglielmone|first6=M.B.|last6=Labruna|first7=J.D.L.|last7=Fuente|year=2012|title=Reinstatement of ''Rhipicephalus'' (''Boophilus'') ''australis'' (Acari: Ixodidae) with redescription of the adult and larval stages|journal=Journal of Medical Entomology|volume=49|pages=794-802|issue=4|doi=10.1603/me11223|pmid=22897039|hdl=11336/96887|hdl-access=free}}</ref>

Having formerly been present in the United States, it has since been eradicated there, except for sporadic occurrences in a buffer zone along the Mexican border.<ref name=":0"/>

In Louisiana, Governor Ruffin Pleasant in 1917 signed legislation sponsored by freshman State Senator Norris C. Williamson of East Carroll Parish to authorize state funding to eradicate the cattle tick.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Earnest I. Smith |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YN0HAQAAIAAJ&q=Norris+C.+Williamson+of+Louisiana&pg=PA639 |title=Organizing and Conducting State-wide Tick Eradication in Louisiana |journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association |volume=VI |issue=5 |series=New Series |date=August 1918 |page=639 |access-date=July 25, 2013}}</ref>

===Climate change=== {{See also|Climate change and infectious diseases|Effects of climate change on livestock}} Some veterinary science research suggests that ''R. microplus'' could become established in the currently temperate countries once their autumns and winters become warmer by about {{convert|2-2.75|C-change|F-change}}.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nava |first1=Santiago |last2=Gamietea |first2=Ignacio J. |last3=Morel |first3=Nicolas |last4=Guglielmone |first4=Alberto A. |last5=Estrada-Pena |first5=Agustin |date=6 July 2022 |title=Assessment of habitat suitability for the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus in temperate areas |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0034528822001850 |journal=Research in Veterinary Science |language=en |volume=150 |pages=10–21 |doi=10.1016/j.rvsc.2022.04.020 |pmid=35803002 |s2cid=250252036|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Life cycle== The life cycle of ''R. microplus'' has been examined under laboratory conditions using rabbit hosts. The average life cycle was determined to be approximately 65 days. The life cycle begins with an adult female which feeds for approximately seven days before entering a four-day pre-oviposition period. During pre-oviposition a female will mate with any and all males who present themselves. The female tick then spends 8.6 days in oviposition, during which time she will lay her eggs. On average, each female lays about 1450 eggs per brood. The eggs take about 21 days to hatch. Approximately 83.5% will survive to hatch into a free-living larval stage which lasts for 3.5 days. The larvae have their first feeding at this time, and their first molt eight days later. At this point, the larvae have become nymphs. They will feed for 11 days before becoming adults.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Senbill |first1=Haytham |last2=Hazarika |first2=Lakshmi Kanta |last3=Baruah |first3=Aiswarya |last4=Borah |first4=Deepak Kumar |last5=Bhattacharyya |first5=Badal |last6=Rahman |first6=Sahidur |date=2018-06-12 |title=Life cycle of the southern cattle tick, ''Rhipicephalus'' (''Boophilus'') ''microplus'' Canestrini 1888 (Acari: Ixodidae) under laboratory conditions |url=https://biotaxa.org/saa/article/view/saa.23.6.12 |journal=Systematic and Applied Acarology |volume=23 |issue=6 |page=1169 |doi=10.11158/saa.23.6.12 |s2cid=89753898 |issn=1362-1971|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Control== {{expand section|date=January 2021}} Management efforts in the United States began after ''R. microplus'' was deemed responsible for an estimated $63 billion in damages during the early 19th century. A control campaign began in 1906 and by 1943 it was considered complete, having eradicated most of the tick population other than a small region along the Southern US border.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> In the modern day, the standard form of control is spraying of acaricides: a type of pesticide that targets ticks and mites. Overuse of acaricides has resulted in some ''R. microplus'' populations developing resistance,<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last1=Nicaretta |first1=João Eduardo |last2=dos Santos |first2=Jordana Belos |last3=Couto |first3=Luiz Fellipe Monteiro |last4=Heller |first4=Luciana Maffini |last5=Cruvinel |first5=Leonardo Bueno |last6=de Melo Júnior |first6=Rubens Dias |last7=de Assis Cavalcante |first7=Alliny Souza |last8=Zapa |first8=Dina María Beltrán |last9=Ferreira |first9=Lorena Lopes |last10=de Oliveira Monteiro |first10=Caio Márcio |last11=Soares |first11=Vando Edesio |last12=Lopes |first12=Welber Daniel Zanetti |date=2020-08-01 |title=Evaluation of rotational grazing as a control strategy for ''Rhipicephalus microplus'' in a tropical region |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0034528819310987 |journal=Research in Veterinary Science |language=en |volume=131 |pages=92–97 |doi=10.1016/j.rvsc.2020.04.006 |pmid=32325299 |s2cid=216108204 |issn=0034-5288|url-access=subscription }}</ref> and it is now considered the most resistant tick ever.<ref name=":1" /> Other control methods include ivermectin, a common anti-parasitic. In Mexico, it has been shown that ''R. microplus'' populations are developing varying levels of resistance to ivermectin, meaning this treatment is becoming less effective year over year.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fernández-Salas |first1=A. |last2=Rodríguez-Vivas |first2=R. I. |last3=Alonso-Díaz |first3=M. A. |last4=Basurto-Camberos |first4=H. |date=2012-11-23 |title=Ivermectin resistance status and factors associated in ''Rhipicephalus microplus'' (Acari: Ixodidae) populations from Veracruz, Mexico |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304401712003007 |journal=Veterinary Parasitology |language=en |volume=190 |issue=1 |pages=210–215 |doi=10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.06.003 |pmid=22785128 |issn=0304-4017|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Recent studies in the Brazilian Amazon have identified heterogeneous resistance profiles of Rhipicephalus microplus populations to ivermectin, doramectin, and amitraz in western Pará.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Peleja |first=Poliana Leão |last2=Sousa |first2=Ana Beatriz Barbosa |last3=Bianchi |first3=Daniela |last4=Klafke |first4=Guilherme M. |last5=Minervino |first5=Antonio Humberto Hamad |date=2026-10-01 |title=Susceptibility of Rhipicephalus microplus tick populations from western Pará to different acaricides |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S138357692600067X |journal=Parasitology International |volume=114 |article-number=103296 |doi=10.1016/j.parint.2026.103296 |issn=1383-5769}}</ref>

Vaccinating cattle against ''R. microplus'' was considered as another option, however, the original Bm86-based vaccines have shown limited efficacy against ''R. microplus'' as compared to other tick species.<ref name=":1" />

Acaricides and pyrethroids are commonly used however this has led to the development of acaricide- and pyrethroid- resistances.<ref name="Melt" /> Acaricide resistance in ''R. microplus'' is mediated by ''para'' sodium channel mutants.<ref name="Melt" /> Such alleles can be rapidly detected in a border livestock inspection by PCR+High Resolution Melt testing.<ref name="Melt" /> This is especially useful on the United States-Mexico border where the US has almost eradicated ''R. microplus'', but Mexico has a high prevalence and a high prevalence of acaricide resistance.<ref name="Melt" /> This technique could also be applied in other countries where pyrethroid resistant ''R. microplus'' is a common problem.<ref name="Melt" > {{ Unbulleted list citebundle | This review... |{{*}} {{ Cite journal | year =2020| id =108993| volume =278| first3 =Srikant| first2 =Anil| first1 =Rinesh| last3 =Ghosh| last2 =Sharma| last1 =Kumar| title =Menace of acaricide resistance in cattle tick, ''Rhipicephalus microplus'' in India: Status and possible mitigation strategies| journal =Veterinary Parasitology | article-number =108993| publisher =Elsevier B.V. (American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists (AAVP) & European Veterinary Parasitology College (EVPC) & World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP))| doi =10.1016/j.vetpar.2019.108993| pmid =31954273| s2cid =210715482}} | ...cites this study... |{{*}} {{ Cite journal | journal =International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance| publisher =Australian Society for Parasitology (ASP) (Elsevier)| year =2019| volume =9| pages =100–111| first6 =Teresa| first5 =Daniela| first4 =Donald| first3 =Jason| first2 =Robert| first1 =Guilherme| last7 =Leon| last6 =Arroyo| last5 =Sanchez| last4 =Thomas| last3 =Tidwell| last2 =Miller| first7 =Adalberto| last1 =Klafke| title =High-resolution melt (HRM) analysis for detection of SNPs associated with pyrethroid resistance in the southern cattle fever tick, ''Rhipicephalus'' (''Boophilus'') ''microplus'' (Acari: Ixodidae)| issn =2211-3207| doi =10.1016/j.ijpddr.2019.03.001| pmid =30889438| pmc =6423475| doi-access =free}} }}</ref>

Some populations of ''R. microplus'' have developed resistance to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.<ref name="Chatonnet-et-al-2017" /> The search for the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) mutations responsible has been stymied because, although there are only three AChEs in this genome, all three have a high copy number.<ref name="Chatonnet-et-al-2017" /> Progress has been made by Bellgard ''et al.'', 2012, Temeyer ''et al.'', 2012, and Bendele ''et al.'', 2015 toward identifying acaricide resistance alleles.<ref name="Chatonnet-et-al-2017">{{cite journal | last1=Chatonnet | first1=Arnaud | last2=Lenfant | first2=Nicolas | last3=Marchot | first3=Pascale | last4=Selkirk | first4=Murray E. | title=Natural genomic amplification of cholinesterase genes in animals | journal=Journal of Neurochemistry | publisher=International Society for Neurochemistry (Wiley) | volume=142 | date=2017-04-05 | issn=0022-3042 | doi=10.1111/jnc.13990 | pages=73–81| pmid=28382676 | hdl=10044/1/48129 | s2cid=34155509 | hdl-access=free }}</ref>

Another management option that has shown promise is the use of pasture rotation. This is based on knowledge of the ''R. microplus'' life cycle. A large pasture is divided up into multiple regions that cattle are moved between regularly. The rotation time is based on the time it takes the ''R. microplus'' eggs to hatch. If timed correctly, the larvae in an area only become viable after the cattle have moved, leading to loss of that ''R. microplus'' generation. This has been shown to be effective in reducing the tick population. However, the amount of time a pasture needs to remain empty means it isn't generally economically viable for farmers.<ref name=":5" />

In June 2024, a study explored the use of microbial agents as biological control methods against ''R. microplus''. The research identified bacteria like ''Bacillus thuringiensis'', ''Serratia marcescens'', and ''Staphylococcus'' spp., as well as nematodes (''Steinernema'' spp. and ''Heterorhabditis'' spp.) and fungi (''Metarhizium anisopliae'' and ''Beauveria bassiana''), as effective in controlling both susceptible and acaricide-resistant tick populations.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Castro-Saines |first=Edgar |last2=Lagunes-Quintanilla |first2=Rodolfo |last3=Hernández-Ortiz |first3=Rubén |date=2024-07-17 |title=Microbial agents for the control of ticks ''Rhipicephalus microplus''|pmid=39017922|journal=Parasitology Research |language=en |volume=123 |issue=7 |page=275 |doi=10.1007/s00436-024-08291-1 |issn=1432-1955}}</ref>

== See also == * Ticks of domestic animals

== References == {{ Reflist }}

== Further reading == *La especie ''Rhipicephalus'' (''Boophilus'') ''microplus'' (Acari-Ixodidae) Canestrini, 1888 conocida comúnmente como la garrapata común del bovino, es sin dudas la más dañina de las garrapatas y el más dañino de los ectoparásitos, que afectan al ganado bovino, ya que provoca daños en la piel, anemias, baja condición física, alteraciones reproductivas, decrecimiento en la producción de leche y carne, mortalidad de los animales y parálisis. Además es agente transmisor de hemoparásitos{{Clarify |date=December 2022}} *NCBI. National Center for Biotechnology Information. NCBI Taxonomy browser https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/taxonomy/?term=ixodidae *Barker, S. Murrel, A. 2008. Systematics and evolution of ticks with a list of valid genus and species names. Ticks: Biology disease and control Eds. A. Bowman y P. Nuttal. Cambridge University Press. 39 p. *Nari, A. 1995. Strategies for the control of one-host ticks and relationship with tick-borne diseases in South America. Veterinary Parasitology. 57:153-165

== External links == * [http://www.scielo.br/pdf/cr/v46n7/1678-4596-cr-0103_8478cr20151416.pdf A revision of two distinct species of ''Rhipicephalus'': ''R. microplus'' and ''R. australis'']

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhipicephalus Microplus}} Category:Ticks Category:Animals described in 1888 Category:Parasitic arthropods of mammals Category:Arachnids of Asia Category:Ixodidae