Section 1. Biology

Safarov Alisher Abduqahor o’g’li, State Veterinary Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan E-mail: [email protected] Azimov Jaloliddin Azimovich, Institute of Zoology, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan E-mail: [email protected] Akramova Feruza Jaloliddinovna, Institute of Zoology, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan

TAXONOMICAL STRUCTURE OF DOGS’ POPULATION ECTOPARASITES (CANIS FAMILIARIS DOM.) IN TASHKENT MEGAPOLIS, UZBEKISTAN Abstract: Some peculiarities of the species diversity of dogs’ ectoparasites under the conditions of the urban environment in Tashkent megapolis were studied. It was registered 17 species of ectoparasites belonging to the type of (Arthropoda) formingo two classes – Arachnida and Insecta. The Arachnida representatives are represented by 10 species belonging to the following families – (8 species), Sarcoptidae (1) and Demode- cidae (1). The Insecta class is represented by 7 species that belong to the following 5 families – Trichodectidae (1), Haematopidae (1), Pulicidae (2), Culicidae (2) and Hippoboscidae (1). The total infection of the dog population was caused by (65.6%) and insects (53.7%). This is an initial data characterize the degree of infection of the domestic dog with the ectoparasites in the megapolis under study. Keywords: Ectoparasites, Arachnida, Insect, Megapolis, dog, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Introduction of parasitologists, in Uzbekistan, more than 30 species of hel- The processes of urbanization, in some degree, happens minths have been registered on domestic dogs, some of which in all regions of the planet. Large and small cities, megacities have adapted to parasitize in the and humans body are formed all the time, leading to the formation of an urban (Sultanov and othres, 1975, Azimov and others, 2016). ecosystem with peculiar abiotic and biotic factors. All these fac- Due to the increase in the number of dog populations in tors have a significant impact on the fauna, the inhabitants of Tashkent megalopolis, the problem of its regulation proved to the urban environment (Dremova [4]). In this respect, special be relevant, as well as the study of the role of parasites in the attention should be paid to the study of the community of para- development of invasive diseases of humans and productive sites of a domestic dog – a typical representative of the fauna animals. of in the urban environment in Tashkent megapolis. The present study is devoted to the species and taxonomic Tashkent is the largest city in Central Asia. It is located in diversity of ectoparasites of the domestic dog population in the north-eastern part of the Republic of Uzbekistan, right in the studied megacity. the valley of the Chirchik river, at an altitude of 440–480 m Materials and methods. The study material was collected above the sea level. The climate is continental. Modern Tash- from March 2016 to March 2018 in the territory of Tashkent, kent is a huge megapolis located on the territory of more than consisting of four zones: multi-storey buildings, private build- 30.0 thousand hectares, with a population of about 2.5 million ings, forest parks and urban inconveniences. The dogs were people. A city ecosystem with all the components is formed examined in all seasons of the year – winter, spring, summer here. These and other factors have a significant impact on the and autumn. A total of 160 individuals of domestic dogs were fauna, biology and ecology of species of invertebrates and examined. Collection of parasitic insects and was vertebrates living in urban environments. In this context, we carried out on the basis of popular methods (Agrinsky [1]; are interested in parasites representing medical-sanitary and Zolotarev [5]; Doszhanov [3]). veterinary importance in the metropolitan area under study. The study and species determination of collected ecto- According to the latest veterinary statistics, during 2018, parasites were carried out in the laboratory of the General about 25.000 domestic dogs kept in houses and apartments Parasitology under the Institute of Zoology of the Academy have been registered in Tashkent. According to known data of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

50 TAXONOMICAL STRUCTURE OF DOGS’ POPULATION ECTOPARASITES (CANIS FAMILIARIS DOM.) IN TASHKENT MEGAPOLIS, UZBEKISTAN

To determine the quantitative characteristics of dog ec- types – (Class Arachnida) and Tracheata (Class toparasites, the intensity of infestation (II, spe), the extent of Insecta). invasion were tested (EI %). We have established that the class of Arachnida on the Results and discussion. At the time of examination of domestic dog on Tashkent megapolis is represented by 10 160 individuals of domestic dogs – 129 (EI‑80.6%) were species; 8 species of them belong to the Ixodidae family of infected with ectoparasites related to Arthropoda, two sub- the , 2 species – (one species of the Sarcotptidae and Demodecidae families Figure 1).

Figure 1. Species diversity of Arachnida – domestic dog ectoparasites of Tashkent megapolis The total number of collected ticks was 2253 specimen. Sarcoptes canis and canis were found in 4 (3.8%) dog 105 (65.6%) out of 160 dogs were infected. The most numer- individuals in autumn and winter seasons. ous were the ticks of the Ixodidae class. In the animals stud- The Insecta class is represented in the studied territory ied, both monoinvasions and their associations were recorded. by four subclasses – Mallophaga, Anoplura, Siphonaptera, Diptera (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Species diversity of Insecta – the domestic dog ectoparasites in Tashkent megapolis

51 Section 1. Biology

The total number of collected insects was 2743 specimen. The distribution of the ectoparasite community is prob- 86 dogs out of the 160 individuals examined were infected ably dependent on the specific ecological characteristics of the with ectoparasites, which is 53.7% of an extent of invasion. functional zones of the megalopolis. Together with a human, Species diversity of insects we noted is small. It consists of dog’s ectoparasites – ticks, fleas, lice and bloodsucking Dip- 7 typical species, which were registered mainly in associative tera, which can parasitize in humans penetrate in the urban form. Trichodectidae, lice and fleas were found, practically, in environment. all seasons of the year, while diptera bloodsuckers were active The composition of the domestic dog’s parasitocenosis in spring, summer and early autumn. of Tashkent megapolis is not constant in quantitative and The data obtained by us show that the fauna of ectopara- qualitative relations. The species diversity of ectoparasites that sites of a domestic dog is represented by 17 species, which make up the parasitocenosis of the animals under study is in a consist of ticks: Ixodidae, Sarcoptidae, Demodecidae and in- dynamic condition depending on the season of the year and sects: Trichodectidae, Haematopidae, Pulicidae, Culicidae, their habitats in the megacity (Table 1). Hippoboscidae. Table 1. – Domestic dogs Ectoparasites of various functional zones in Tashkent megapolis Zones and number of species Family Multi-storey buildings Private buildings Forest Parks Urban inconveniences Ixodidae 3 6 2 9 Sarcoptidae – 1 – 1 Demodecidae – 1 – 1 Trichodectidae 1 1 1 1 Haematopidae 1 1 1 1 Pulicidae 1 2 – 2 Culicidae 1 2 – 1 Hippoboscidae – 1 – 1 In total 7 15 4 17 Characterizing the communities of the domestic dogs’ ecto- toparasites – blood-sucking of Arthropoda class and parasites in Tashkent megapolis, it should be noted that the num- insects of Insecta class. Species diversity of ectoparasites ber of species in different zones is different. The most number consists of 17 species belonging to 8 families like – Ixodidae, of species is recorded on dogs, kept in the areas of urban incon- Sarcoptidae, Demodecidae Trichodicidae, Haematopidae, veniences (17 species) and private buildings (15). The number Pulicidae, Culicidae и Hippoboscidae. The total infection of of species was the lowest in the forest-park zone (4). Thus, the the urban population of dogs with ectoparasites was 65.7% formation of the dogs’ parasitocenosis in urbanized areas, for in mites and 53.7% in insects with varying degrees of inva- example, in Tashkent megapolis, occurs through the following sion intensity. types of connections: topical, trophic and phoric, which cor- The distribution of the ectoparasite community is depen- responds to the well-known data (Vysotskaya [2]; Sklyar [6]). dent on the peculiar ecological characteristics of the structure The presented materials, which may have the nature of a and functional features of the metropolitan zones of Tashkent. preliminary communication, are becoming increasingly rel- Together with a human, dog’s ectoparasites – ticks, fleas, lice evant due to the globalization of the anthropogenic impact and bloodsucking Diptera, which can parasitize in humans on the environment and its components. penetrate in the urban environment. This explains the role of Conclusion dog’s ectoparasites in the occurrence of parasitic diseases not The conducted studies showed, that the populations of only of other domestic animals, but also of humans. the domestic dogs in Tashkent megapolis are invaded by ec- References: 1. Agrinsky N. I. Insects and mites that harm agricultural animals. – М., 1961. – 288 p. 2. Vysotskaya S. O. Biocenotic relations between ectoparasites of the European red vole (Clethrionomus glareolus Schreb.) and the inhabitants of its nests in the Transcarpathian region of the Ukrainian SSR // Parazitol. collection of the Zool. institute. – L.: Nauka, 1974. – P. 114–143.

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3. Doszhanov T. N. Flies-bloodsuckers (Diptera, Hippoboscidae) Palearctic. – Almaty, 2003. – 278 p. 4. Dremova V. P. Urban entomology. Harmful arthropods in an urban environment. – Ekaterinburg, 2005. – 279 p. 5. Zolotarev N. A. Study of mites (Arachnids) // Veterinary lab. practice. – M., 1963. – Vol, 2. – P. 316–384. 6. Sklyar V. E. Parasitic insects and mites are the basis of the parasitocenosis of the common voles (Mikrotus arvalis Pall., 1778) of the South-East of Ukraine // Problems of modern parasitology. – St. Petersburg, 2003. – Part 2. – P. 117–119.

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