PARASITE-HOST RELATIONSHIP OF A COMMON IXODID TICK (IXODES RICINUS LINNAEUS) AND A TEREK LIZARD (LACERTA BOEMICA SUCHOW) IN NORTH OSSETIA
The article presents the results of a study of parasite-host relationships of a common ixodid tick (Ixodes ricinus) and a Terek lizard, or Bohme 's lizard (Lacerta boemica). The investigations were carried out in the third decade of April - early May 2014 on the territory of the Kirovskiy and Alagirskiy Administrative Districts of the Republic of North Ossetia, Alania. We examined 72 lizards, including 29 adultfemales, 29 adult males and 13 immature bodies. Nearly half of adult lizards were attacked by ticks, there were more males than females (58.6% vs. 44.8%). Young lizards were under ectoparasitical impact to a much lesser extent (7.7%). All the feeding ticks were nymphs. The ticks showed invasive distribution in the host population: 44.7% of lizards were attacked by 100% of ticks. The size of lizards depended on the number of parasites on them. The number of ticks on adult animals was almost 2 times higher than on the young ones. The ticks attacked the following parts of the host's body: bottom front and back parts of legs, a neck, ear holes, less - both sides of the body and a mouth.