Amblyomma birmitum sp. nov. is formally described as a new record from 99 Ma old Burmese amber from Myanmar. This confirms the presence of the extant hard tick genus Amblyomma C.L. Koch, 1844 (Ixodida: Ixodidae) in the Late Cretaceous. This discovery is placed in its wider context and some reports of fossil hard ticks, such as a Hyalomma C.L. Koch, 1844 in Eocene Baltic amber, are misidentifications. The genus Amblyomma belongs to the clade Metastriata, a group which probably also accommodates two extinct genera, Cornupalpatum Poinar and Brown, 2003 and Compluriscutata Poinar and Buckley, 2008, also found in Burmese amber. All three fossils are thus only a little younger than published molecular divergence time estimates (ca. 124 ± 17 Ma) for the Metastriata lineage. Amblyomma has a largely Gondwanan distribution today. However, in some biogeographical scenarios, e.g. the Samafrica model, its predicted radiation time postdates the dissolution of the original Gondwana supercontinent raising questions about how its current distribution pattern was achieved.

Research was undertaken to clarify the true taxonomic position of the terrestrial tortoise apicomplexan, Haemogregarina fitzsimonsi (Dias, 1953). Thin blood films were screened from 275 wild and captive South African tortoises of 6 genera and 10 species between 2009–2011. Apicomplexan parasites within films were identified, with a focus on H. fitzsimonsi. Ticks from wild tortoises, especially Amblyomma sylvaticum and Amblyomma marmoreum were also screened, and sporogonic stages were identified on dissection of adult ticks of both species taken from H. fitzsimonsi infected and apparently non-infected tortoises. Parasite DNA was extracted from fixed, Giemsa-stained tortoise blood films and from both fresh and fixed ticks, and PCR was undertaken with two primer sets, HEMO1/HEMO2, and HepF300/HepR900, to amplify parasite 18S rDNA. Results indicated that apicomplexan DNA extracted from tortoise blood films and both species of tick had been amplified by one or both primer sets. Haemogregarina  fitzsimonsi 18S rDNA sequences from tortoise blood aligned with those of species of Hepatozoon, rather than those of species of Haemogregarina or Hemolivia. It is recommended therefore that this haemogregarine be re-assigned to the genus Hepatozoon, making Hepatozoon fitzsimonsi (Dias, 1953) the only Hepatozoon known currently from any terrestrial chelonian. Ticks are its likely vectors.

Ticks have always been a major obstacle to livestock production due to the devastating diseases which they transmit especially in the tropics. The control of ticks which has relied heavily on the use of acaricides is now faced with serious problems e.g. increased resistance in ticks, high costs and toxicity to the environment. Over the last few decades, alternative tick control methods which utilize natural factors with little or no acaricides have been sought and those which have shown some promise are discussed in this paper. They include release or conservation of biological control agents e.g. parasitoids, predators and pathogens; anti-tick grasses and pasture spelling. The possibility of integrating some of these factors into low cost environmentally-safe tick control strategies affordable by resource limited farmers is also discussed.

Immature stages of Amblyomma lepidum were fed on rabbit ears and the adult ones on calf ear. There was a three-host type of development during an average period of 160.5 days. The mean larval feeding period was 5 days, 7 days for nymphs and 14.5 for females. At 27 ± 1°C and 100% r.h. the engorged larvae required 21 days for moulting and nymphs took 22 days to develop to adults. The pre-oviposition period was 14.2 days and the oviposition period was 21.4 days during which a mean number of 7564.6 eggs were laid. Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum and Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi were fed on rabbit ears. The larvae, nymphs and adults of Hyalomma ticks fed for 4.6 and 8.5 days, respectively. The larvae and nymphs of R. e. evertsi fed sequentially on the same host for 14 days while the females took 7.5 days to engorge. At 27 ± 1°C and 75–80% r.h. the engorged larvae and nymphs H. a. anatolicum moulted after a further 8.5 and 13 days respectively. The engorged nymphs of R. e. evertsi at 27 ± 1°C and 75–80% r.h. moulted 14.5 days after dropping off the host. At 27 ± 1°C and 75–80% r.h. the preoviposition and oviposition periods of H. a. anatolicum were 4.6 and 20.8 days, while those of R. e. evertsi were 5.4 and 14 days. The average number of eggs laid per female under the same conditions (27 ± 1°C and 75–80% r.h.), was 4684.6 for H. a. anatolicum and 3392 for R. e. evertsi.

A brief description is given of the tick species, their distribution, the diseases they transmit and the control methods used in Botswana. Most of the country is unsuitable for the permanent establishment of the more important ticks so that the diseases they transmit are confined mainly to the eastern part of the country. Among the tick-borne diseases, cowdriosis is the most important although sporadic cases of anaplasmosis and babesiosis also occur. Canine erhlichiosis is established in the urban areas. The presence of theileriosis as a clinical disease has yet to confirmed in Botswana.

Literature on the distribution, biology, seasonal population fluctuations, economic importance, acaricidal susceptibility and measures for the control of the cattle ticks Boophilus microplus Canst., Amblyomma cajennense Fab., A. variegatum. Fab. in the Caribbean has been critically reviewed. The ticks, which inflict about $62 million annual loss on the region's livestock industry, are still susceptible to acaricides, despite a few populations of B. microplus showing 31- to 227-fold resistance to lindane and 15- to 67-fold resistance to carbaryl, chlorfenvinphos, dimethoate and crotoxyphos.

The screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax Coq. is widespread, except in Puerto Rico and Curacao, from where it has been eradicated. The annual cost of surveillance against the fly and treatment of cattle for myiasis is estimated to be about $59 million. Its eradication from the entire Caribbean region by insect sterile method is advocated.