Rhipicephalus sanguineus

The tick follows the normal developmental stages of egg, larva, nymph, and adult. It is called a three-host tick because it feeds on a different host during each of the larval, nymphal, and adult stages. However, the hosts tend to be of one species. Larvae feed for 5–15 days, drop from the host, and develop into nymphs after 1–2 weeks. The nymphs then attach to either the previous host or a different host and feed for 3–13 days before dropping from the host. After two weeks, they develop into adults and attach to another host where they continue to ingest blood, followed by a period of mating.{{cite journal|last1=Ioffe-Uspensky|first1=I.|last2=Mumcuoglu|first2=K.Y.|last3=Uspensky|first3=I.|last4=Galun|first4=R.|year=1997|title=Rhipicephalus sanguineus and R. turanicus (Acari: Ixodidae): closely related species with different biological characteristics|journal=Journal of Medical Entomology|volume=34|issue=1|pages=74–81|doi=10.1093/jmedent/34.1.74|pmid=9086715}} The females drop yet again in order to lay their eggs, which can total up to 7,000 in number.{{cite journal|last=Koch|first=H.G.|year=1982|title=Oviposition of the brown dog tick (Acari: Ixodidae) in the laboratory|journal=Annals of the Entomological Society of America|volume=75|issue=5|pages=583–586|doi=10.1093/aesa/75.5.583}}

Rhipicephalus sanguineus can acquire bacterial or protozoal causative agents of disease at any of these life stages.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/life_cycle_and_hosts.html|title=How ticks spread disease {{!}} Ticks {{!}} CDC|date=2019-04-09|website=www.cdc.gov|language=en-us|access-date=2019-05-31}}

Rhipicephalus sanguineus feeds on a wide variety of mammals, but dogs are the preferred host in the U.S., and the population can reach pest proportions in houses and kennels. The preferred attachment sites on a dog are the head, ears, back, between toes, and axilla.{{cite journal|last=Dantas-Torres|first=F.|year=2010|title=Biology and ecology of the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus|journal=Parasites & Vectors|volume=3|page=26 |id=Art. No. 26|doi=10.1186/1756-3305-3-26|doi-access=free|pmid=20377860|pmc=2857863}}

Rhipicephalus sanguineus is one of the most important vectors of diseases in dogs worldwide.{{cite journal |author=Domenico Otranto & Filipe Dantas-Torres |year=2010 |title=Canine and feline vector-borne diseases in Italy: current situation and perspectives |journal=Parasites & Vectors |volume=3 |page=2 |doi=10.1186/1756-3305-3-2 |pmid=20145730 |pmc=2818618 |issue=1 |doi-access=free }} In the United States, R. sanguineus is a vector of many disease-causing pathogens in dogs, including Ehrlichia canis, which causes canine ehrlichiosis, and Babesia canis, which is responsible for canine babesiosis. In dogs, symptoms of canine ehrlichiosis include lameness and fever; those for babesiosis include fever, anorexia, and anemia. R. sanguineus has not been shown to transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease in humans. In parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, it is a vector of Rickettsia conorii, known locally as Mediterranean spotted fever, boutonneuse fever, or tick typhus.

It can also transmit Rickettsia rickettsii, the bacteria responsible for causing Rocky Mountain spotted fever in humans in the Southwestern United States.{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/rocky_mountain_spotted_fever/faq.html#whatis |title=Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: Questions and Answers | Tickborne Rickettsial Diseases |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |accessdate=April 17, 2010|date=2018-08-06 }}

• Babesia vogeli
• Babesia canis
• Coxiella burnetii
• Ehrlichia canis
• Hepatozoon canis
• Mycoplasma haemocanis
• Rickettsia conorii
• Rickettsia rickettsii
• Wolbachia spp.{{Cite journal|last1=René-Martellet|first1=Magalie|last2=Minard|first2=Guillaume|last3=Massot|first3=Raphael|last4=Tran Van|first4=Van|last5=Valiente Moro|first5=Claire|last6=Chabanne|first6=Luc|last7=Mavingui|first7=Patrick|date=2017-09-07|title=Bacterial microbiota associated with Rhipicephalus sanguineus (s.l.) ticks from France, Senegal and Arizona|journal=Parasites & Vectors|volume=10|issue=1|pages=416|doi=10.1186/s13071-017-2352-9|issn=1756-3305|pmc=5591579|pmid=28886749 |doi-access=free }}

The best management strategy is prevention of infestations in the house or kennel. In addition, the earlier the infestation is discovered, the easier it is to control. Regular grooming and inspection of pets is essential to management, especially when dogs have been quartered or have interacted with other dogs.

A cosmopolitan species, it can be found worldwide{{Cite web|title=TickEncounter Resource Center > Tick Identification > Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Brown Dog tick)|url=https://tickencounter.org/tick_identification/brown_dog_tick|access-date=2021-04-28|website=tickencounter.org}} with the exception of the United Kingdom where Hoyle et al. 2001 and Bates et al. 2002 found it only in quarantine kennels. No further intrusion into the UK has been found {{as of|2010|lc=yes}}.{{cite journal | last1=Jameson | first1=L. J. | last2=Phipps | first2=L. P. | last3=Medlock | first3=J. M. | title=Surveillance for exotic ticks on companion animals in the UK | journal=Veterinary Record | publisher=British Veterinary Association (BMJ) | volume=166 | issue=7 | year=2010 | issn=0042-4900 | doi=10.1136/vr.b4786 | pages=202–203| pmid=20154311 | s2cid=29671884 }}

• Ticks of domestic animals

{{Reflist|2}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/medical/brown_dog_tick.htm Brown dog tick] on the University of Florida / Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Featured Creatures website
• {{cite web | last=Pereira | first=Marcelo Campos | title=Rhipicephalus | website=Universidade de São Paulo; Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas | url=http://www.icb.usp.br/~marcelcp/Rhipicephalus.htm | access-date=2023-10-21}}
• {{Cite web | url=http://www.extento.hawaii.edu/Kbase/urban/site/brdgtick.htm |title = Rhipicephalus sanguineus}} Extento.hawaii.edu

{{Tick-borne diseases}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q794982}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Arachnids of South America

Category:Ticks

Category:Parasites of dogs

Category:Arachnids described in 1806

Category:Ixodidae

Category:Cosmopolitan arachnids