Population characteristics of phthirapteran ectoparasites infesting cattle in Rampur district

Three hundred cattle were sampled for the presence of phthirapteran ectoparasites in Rampur district. Three phthirapteran species (Damalinia bovis, Linognathus vituli, Haematopinus eurysternus) were recovered from the cattle. Solenopotes capillatus and Haematopinus quadripertusus were not noticed. As many as 16.3%, (n = 300) cattle were found infested with one or other species of Phthiraptera, during 2007, in Rampur district. Single species infestation was more common than double (16.3%) and triple species (14.2%) infestation. Prevalence of Phthiraptera on two sexes remained similar (χ2 = 0.48, P = 0.05). It was higher in younger cattle than adults and aged ones (χ2 = 10.48, P = 0.05). Correlation between mean monthly intensity and mean monthly relative humidity was significant. Out of the three species recovered, the biting louse, D.bovis remained the most prevalent louse (11.3%), followed by anopluran, L.vituli (11%). The other anopluran louse, H.eurysternus was least prevalent (5.07%). Intensity of infestation (recorded by counting total number of lice noted on 20 anatomical sites measuring per square inch) remained 4.6 for D.bovis, 3.7 for L.vituli and 2.8 for H.eurysternus. In case of all the three cattle lice, sex ratios were female biased (1:1.4 to 1:1.5). Nymphal population dominated over adults (A: N = 1:1.7 to1:1.9).