Community-level study of ticks in a major cattle market in Edo state reveals high tick diversity but no species-specific preference for predilection site

Abstract Ticks are important ectoparasites affecting livestock worldwide, serving as vectors of diseases that challenge traditional livestock farming. Most studies on tick infestations in Nigeria are focused on population-level assessments, providing limited insights into co-infestation and assemblage patterns on their host. In this study, we estimated ixodid tick diversity and abundance at a major cattle market in Edo State, Nigeria, following community-level methods, which would give further insight into their predilection preference by life stage, sex, and tick species. We employed a cross-sectional survey from January to March 2024, collecting tick samples from 95 cattle. A total of 1930 ticks (1689 adults, 241 nymphs; Among adults: 1570 females and 119 males) were collected, belonging to three genera ( Amblyomma , Rhipicephalus , Haemaphysalis ) and 12 species. However, the result of the Species accumulation curve and a Jackknife 2 estimator indicated a tick species richness of 15. R. annulatus , R. decoloratus , and R. geigyi were the most abundant, accounting for over 92% of ticks collected. Permutative Multivariate Analysis of Variance tests showed significant differences ( p < 0.001) in tick community composition when compared by sex and life stage, but not by predilection sites. Also, a Factor Analysis of Mixed data did not reveal a species-specific preference for any predilection site. Furthermore, Margalef indices of tick diversity were not significantly different ( P > 0.05) in all predilection sites. Given the role of cattle trade in spreading ticks across regions, our findings suggest the need for broader tick surveillance in Edo State due to the potential underrepresentation of abundance and diversity. Also, the lack of species-specific predilection suggests that control strategies should target all host body parts.