Location: Cattle Fever Tick Research Unit
Project Number: 3094-10400-003-021-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2026
End Date: Aug 31, 2028
Objective:
Collaborate to collect tick parasitoids from known hosts throughout northern, central and southern Vietnam. Conduct host exposures of cattle fever tick eggs/larvae and 3-host ticks to rear potential biological control agents of cattle fever ticks (CFT), Rhipicephalus (=Boophilus) microplus in Vietnam. Tick parasitoids will be returned to collaborator for rearing and study by students and scientists. Parasitoid adults will be shipped to containment facilities in the U.S. for host range testing.
Approach:
Local Vietnamese CFT/eggs and 3-host ticks will be collected from rural habitats in northern, central and southern Vietnam. Those with signs of parasitization will be maintained in culture or shipped to USDA PI for rearing and identification. Eggs and larvae will be set out in arenas for up to 3-days to attract biological control insects that may exist locally in association with CFT on native deer, cattle, water buffalo, and/or other wildlife species. After 24-72 hour field exposure, CFT larvae/3-host ticks will be collected and sent to USDA collaborator for parasitoid screening. Larvae and nymphs will be removed from cows and/or dogs in the field, or from wildlife at wildlife sanctuaries, if allowed. Ticks will be held in vials and sent to USDA PI's laboratory for emergence of parasitoids. CFT eggs will be returned to the laboratory and held in incubator at 27C to check for possible parasitism and emergence of specialized egg parasitoids.