Tick species collected from wild boars and deer in Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, in 2022: A follow-up study to the previous report in Ashikaga City

A survey of tick species collected from wild boars (Sus scrofa) and sika deer (Cervus nippon) captured for vermin control was conducted in Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, in 2022, as a follow-up study in Ashikaga City in the previous year. The results showed that the mean number of collected Amblyomma testudinarium per wild boar was 45 times higher than that from deer and that the infestation of adult ticks was only observed in boars with the highest in June onward. This was similar to results from the Ashikaga survey. A small number of Haemaphysalis longicornis was collected per wild boar at the same developmental stages during the seasonal cycle on deer as nymphs in spring and adult females in summer, whereas the number of collected ticks was much higher on deer. These results showed that A. testudinarium uses boars more specifically as hosts in the northern Kanto area.