Evaluation of toxicity of Eucalyptus cammadelulensis essential oil in the hard tick Hyalommaanatolicum (Acari: Ixodidae) infested livestock in Basrah province, Iraq

Abstract

The study was done in Basrah province, Southern Iraq, from January to December 2018. The first aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Hyalommaanatolicum infestation in the livestock in Basrah province. The second was to evaluate the effect of Eucalyptus cammadelulensis essential oil on the mortality of the life cycle stages. The highest prevalence of H. anatolicum was recorded in cattle 34.66%, while the lowest infestation was recorded in buffalos 28.17%. The results also showed that the toxic effect of the eucalyptus oil was gradually reduced by the age of the tick; eggs were the most affected, followed by larvae and nymphs, whereas adults were more resistant. The rates of mortality of all stages increase with the rise of oil concentrations; the most mortality of all experiments was at the concentration 1%, compared with others especially 0.0625% which had the lowest rate of mortality. The fed individuals of larvae, nymphs and adults have recorded the highest rates of mortality compared with unfed individuals. Females were more sensitive than males in the treatment with eucalyptus oil. The LC50 values were varied according to the time of the exposure and feeding of the tick stage.