Helminth and arthropod parasites of blesbok, Damaliscus dorcas phillipsi, and of bontebok, Damaliscus dorcas dorcas.

Abstract

The helminth burdens of 8 blesbok shot in the north-eastern Orange Free State, 8 from the eastern Cape Province, 28 from the eastern Transvaal and 3 from the central Transvaal were determined. In addition, the arthropod burdens of 11 of these animals were ascertained. Twenty-one nematode species, 2 cestode species, 6 ixodid ticks, 2 lice and the larvae of 5 oestrid flies were recovered. Three of the nematode species, 2 of the oestrid flies and 4 of the tick species had apparently not previously been recovered from blesbok. Thirty-one bontebok culled in the south-western Cape Province were examined for endoparasites and 8 of these animals were also examined for ectoparasites. They harboured 12 nematode species, 3 ixodid ticks, a louse and the larvae of an oestrid fly. In common with some of the blesbok they were parasitized by Dictyocaulus Magnus, Longistrongylus curvispiculum, Trichostrongylus axei, Nematodirus spathiger and the larvae of a large Gedoelstia sp. Five of the nematode species, the larvae of the oestrid fly species and the 3 ixodid tick species had not previously been recorded from bontebok.