Author's Note.

 

This Manual was started as consequence of several inquiries made by researchers in Manaus and Amazonas: Why do the wild animals found in Manaus have so many ticks and what species are they?

 

In 2011, I started a line of research called: Taxonomy of ixodida ticks in wild animals of Central Amazonia at the Laboratory of Zoology of UFAM where I have been Assistant Professor since 2006.

 

In order to try to answer this question, we would have to know which species of ixodida ticks are found in wild animals, as well as the wild animal species they parasitized. This initial phase became in itself a major challenge because after several bibliographical reviews, we found only two scientific articles in this area and they only emphasized pet ticks: Gordon & Young 1922 and Castro & Rafael, 2006.

 

          In addition, only two identification manuals had recently been published: Guimarães et al. (2001) that was already out of stock everywhere and Barros-Battesti et al. (2006) which was also sold out but as it had never been offered for sale (only distributed free of charge), it was much harder to find. In addition the only a doctoral thesis that had been published was a review of the genus Amblyomma of Brasil, by Valéria Castilho Onófrio, from the Laboratory of Parasitology, Butantã in São Paulo. After contacting her by e-mail she kindly sent me a copy of the book; Barros-Battesti et al. (2006): Ticks of Neotropical Medical-Veterinary Importance: An illustrated guide to species identification.

 

          This was a decisive factor and enabled us to begin the qualitative investigations of ticks in Manaus at the time. From then on, in partnership with Carlos Augusto Rodrigues do Nascimento, we contacted several institutions that worked directly with wild animals in Manaus. From these contacts, two major partnerships have emerged: 1. With the IBAMA Wild Animals Triage Center (CETAS) - Outstanding among these are the Environmental Analysts Natália Aparecida de Souza Lima and Diogo Cesar Lagroteria Oliveira Faria; 2. With the CETAS of the Sauim Castanheira Wildlife Refuge (RVSSC) - The Chief Veterinarian - Laérzio Chiesorin Neto stands out.

 

          Among the forest fragments in which we work, we highlight: UFAM Campus of the Capital, Municipal Park of Mindu and the forested area of ​​the International Airport of Manaus.

 

          With these partnerships implemented, we began to develop small projects for the collecting of ticks on wild animals received at CETAS in Manaus. As the project has never had official funding from development agencies, we have chosen to guide students within the Program of Scientific Initiation (PIBIC) offered by Pro-Reitora de Pesquisa (PROPESP) of UFAM who are mostly student scholarship holders of CNPq and FAPEAM.

 

         Later, collections were made in forest fragments in Manaus in an attempt to collect adult and immature ticks. The vast majority of the animals received by CETAS also came from forest fragments in Manaus.

 

          In 2014, I accepted the invitation of Professor Marcelo Menin from the Laboratory of Zoology of UFAM, coordinator of the Program of Research on Biodiversity (PPBio), where we were able to expand collections especially at the Experimental Farm of UFAM and the Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve.