ECTOPARASITES IN GOATS AND SHEEPS IN THE TOWN OF MOSSORO, RIO GRANDE DO NORTE

Abstract

Goats and sheeps present an ectoparasite diversity that may result in considerable losses in these animals productivity. Fifteen agrarian reform settlements were visited, with the purpose of identifying ectoparasites in goats and sheeps, in which scraping, direct exams, and auricle exsudate collections were carried out. From the 494 examined goats, 89.87% had ectoparasites, as well as 232 sheeps, 76.72%. The arthropods identified in the goats were: Bovicola caprae (80.76%), Rhipicephalus microplus (1.01%), Cochliomyia hominivorax larvae (0.6%), Psoroptes cuniculi (0.4%), and Ctenocephalides felis (3.23%), Amblyomma parvum (1.01%) and Linognathus stenopsis (0.2%) which were described for the first time in Brazilian northeast. Mixed parasitism of B. caprae with R. microplus (0.46%) and P. cuniculi with B. caprae (0.23%) was also identified. In sheeps, B. ovis (74.5%), R. microplus (0.86%), C. hominivorax larvae (0.43%) and A. parvum (0.43%) were the ones registered for the first time, in this species, in Brazilian northeast, besides the association of B. ovis with R. microplus (0.56%). There was no association between gender and age (P>0.05). The development of studies to evaluate the ectoparasite importance as a limiting factor to animal production becomes important. 

KEY WORDS: Goats, ectoparasite, sheeps.