[Range and ecology of Dermacentor reticulatus (Fabricius, 1794) in Mazuria focus. IV. Host specificity]

During two consecutive open seasons, i.e. in the fall of 1998 and the fall of 1999, a host specificity study was conducted in the vicinity of Mikolajki. Host specificity was assessed by calculating the prevalence and mean intensity indices of infection. The total of 87 game beasts were examined, including 53 deers, 18 wild boars, 15 roe deer and 1 elk. In deer the prevalence of infection was 67.9%, with mean intensity at the level of 10.2. In wild boars the indices were 22.2% and 12.8, respectively. Dermacentor reticulatus ticks were not found in any of the examined 14 roe deer. Three adult ticks were found on the elk. Very frequent occurrence of Dermacentor reticulatus on plants in red and fallow deer pens in fenced Cervides Farm indicates that these animals are good hosts for adult forms of this tick. On pens of red deer the number of ticks caught on plants was considerable greater than on pens of fallow deer.