Identification and distribution of hard tick species in Waglasta, Amhara, Ethiopia - modeling of local habitat suitability of dominant species

Sep 30, 2026

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Ethiopia’s large livestock population faces major constraints from ticks and tick-borne diseases that limit national economic gains. A cross-sectional study conducted from April 2020 to June 2021 identified prevalent ticks and mapped local habitat suitability for dominant species across the Wag-Lasta area. Georeferenced sampling captured infestation data; ticks were identified morphologically and bioclimatic predictors were derived from WorldClim 2.1. Three genera (Rhipicephalus, Amblyomma, Hyalomma) and nine species were recorded, with A. variegatum and R. pravus predominant. Ensemble models produced strong predictive performance and showed distinct agroecological distributions driven mainly by annual temperature range and precipitation-related variables.

LanguageEnglish

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Parasitology Research (2026) 125:4 [https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-025-08619-5](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-025-08619-5) RESEARCH Identification and distribution of hard tick species in Waglasta, Amhara, Ethiopia: modeling of local habitat suitability of dominant species Ayalew Assefa1 · Abebe Tibebu2 Received: 17 September 2025 / Accepted: 11 December 2025 © The Author(s) 2026 Abstract Ethiopia ranks first in Africa and tenth globally in livestock population. However, this resource contributes only minimally to the national economy, with ticks and tick-borne diseases posing major constraints. A cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2020 to June 2021 to identify the prevalent ticks and delineate suitability of the local habitants for spatial distribution of dominant tick species in the Wag-Lasta area, Ethiopia. The tick infestation data were collected from georeferenced sampling sites, ticks were identified based on morphological characteristics, and bioclimatic variables were obtained from the WorldClim 2.1 database. The results identified three tick genera: Rhipicephalus (52.5%), Amblyomma (40.7%), and Hyalomma (6.9%), and nine species: A. variegatum, R. pravus, R. decoloratus, A. cohaerens, R. evertsi, H. truncatum, R. pulchellus, H. rufipes, and H. marginatum. The male-to-female and adult-to-nymph tick stage ratios were 1:1 and 1.6, respectively. A. variegatum dominated the highlands and midlands, and R. pravus was more prevalent in the lowlands. Annual temperature range was the main contributor variable for A. variegatum (32.6%) and R. pravus (27%), followed by precipitation during the warmest and wettest quarters, isothermality, and precipitation seasonality. The ensemble models mapped the distribution of the two most abundant tick species with excellent predictive performance for A. variegatum (TSS =0.94, ROC = 0.99) and for R. pravus (TSS =0.94, ROC = 0.99) . In conclusion, A. variegatum and R. pravus were the predominant tick species with distinct ecological distribution across agroecology, mainly influenced by the annual temperature range and precipitation-related bioclimatic factors. Keywords Tick · Spatial distribution · Ensemble modeling and waghimra Introduction Ethiopia ranks first in Africa and tenth globally for its livestock population; however, this resource contributes only minimally to the national economy. Challenges such as diseases, along with limited availability and high cost of animal feed, hinder the effective use of livestock Section Editor: Van Lun Low 􀀍 Abebe Tibebu [abetfek@gmail.com](abetfek@gmail.com) 1 International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 2 Amhara Agricultural Research Institute, Sekota Dryland Agricultural Research Center, P.O. Box 62, Sekota, Ethiopia resources, constraining food security and national development (CSA 2020) . In tropical countries, such as Ethiopia, ticks and tickborne diseases pose significant challenges to livestock production. Globally, approximately 80% of livestock are at risk of ticks and tickborne diseases (Kouam and Dongmo 2018) . The consequences of tick infestation include losses in milk and meat production, as well as morbidity and mortality from tick-borne diseases. It can also lead to the deterioration of hides and skin, along with increased expenses for control and prevention measures. Ticks are the most important vectors of pathogenic agents, ranking second after mosquitoes, and they affect livestock, humans, pets, and wildlife (Adane et al. 2018 ; Kouam and Dongmo 2018) . Ticks can transmit many illnesses such as babesiosis, theileriosis, ehrlichiosis, and borreliosis (Rocha et al. 2022) . 1 3 There are two families of ticks, Ixodidae (hard ticks) and Argasidae (soft ticks) . Among the seven hard-tick genera, four (Amblyomma, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus), Haemaphysalis, and Hyalomma ) and 47 species have been reported in Ethiopia (Mohamed et al. 2023 ; Tibebu and

FAQs

What was the study period and design used to assess tick species in Wag-Lasta?

A cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2020 to June 2021 to identify prevalent ticks and map habitat suitability for dominant species.

Which tick genera and species were identified in the study?

Three genera were found: Rhipicephalus (52.5%), Amblyomma (40.7%), and Hyalomma (6.9%), totaling nine species including A. variegatum and R. pravus.

What bioclimatic factors most influenced the predicted distribution of the dominant ticks?

Annual temperature range was the main driver for A. variegatum and R. pravus, with precipitation-related variables (especially during warmest and wettest quarters) contributing alongside other bioclimatic measures.

Sep 30, 2026

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