Argas (Persicargas) streptopelia (Ixodoidea: argasidae) on migrating and resident doves in Senegal.

Argas (Persica?-gas) streptopelia Kaiser, Hoogstraal, & Horner (1970), was described from collections from doves in South-West Africa, Sudan, Egypt, and Cyprus. The data presented here show that this tick also parasitizes resident and migrating doves in Senegal, West Africa. Single larvae ’were taken from 3 northward-migrating Strepfopelia tiwtiy subsp. on 17 Mar., 16 Apr., and 9 May 1969. The Ist collection was made at Richard-Toll, Departement Dagana, the other two at Saboya, Departement Nioro du Rip. Collections from resident doves were as follows: 1 larva from Ti~rtzzlr abyssirticu delicafirla, Saboya, 25 Mar. 1969; 1 larva from Streptopelia vkacea subsp., Saboya, 8 May 1969; 2 larvae from S. decipiem, Tatki, Departement Podor, 11 Feb. 1970. Richard-Toll and Taki in northern Senegal are in the Sahélienne Zone (350400 mm annual rainfall), Saboya in south-central Senegal near the Gambian border is in the Soudano-guinéenne Zone (1000 mm annual rainfall). Exchange of ticks between different genera and species of migrating and resident doves may possibly occur in “dove dormitories.” In March 1970, together with Mr. Jarry, ornithologist of the Paris Natural History Museum, I observed a dove dormitory near Richard-Toll. At 1800 hr, just before nightfall, thousands of migrating and resident doves gathered to sleep in an Acacia forest covering an area of ca. 1 km;?. Although no adult ticks were found under the bark of these trees, search for free-living stages will be intensified in Senegal.