Location: Cattle Fever Tick Research Unit
Project Number: 3094-32000-042-072-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 31, 2022
End Date: Aug 30, 2025
Objective:
Collaborate to conduct host exposures of cattle fever tick eggs/larvae and 3-host ticks to rear potential biological control agents of cattle fever ticks (CFT), Rhipicephalus (=Boophilus) microplus in Vietnam. Tick parasitoids will be returned to collaborator for rearing and study by students and scientists. Parasitoid adults will be shipped to containment facilities in the U.S. for host range testing.
Approach:
Local Vietnamese CFT eggs/larvae and 3-host ticks from rural habitat to attract local biological control insects that may exist locally in association with CFT on native deer, cattle and/or water buffalo. After 24-48 hour field exposure, CFT larvae/3-host ticks will be placed on cows in stockinettes for tick engorgement. Engorged larvae and nymphs will be removed from cows and held in vials at collaborator's laboratory for emergence of parasitoids. CFT eggs will be returned to the laboratory and held in incubator at 27C to check for possible parasitism and emergence of specialized egg parasitoids.
