Identification and new records of tick species on livestock from district Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan

Pakistan is an agricultural country divided into four provinces (Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). Livestock plays a key role in the economy of Pakistan in the form of skin, wool, hides, milk and meat products (Ramzan et al. 2021) and is considered the main source of income for poor people. According to the economic survey of Pakistan in 2017–2018, total livestock population of the country consisted of buffalo (37.7 million), goats (72.2 million), sheep (30.1 million) and cattle (44.4 million). Despite a large population of livestock, their production is considerably lower than in other countries such as China and India due to many biotic and abiotic factors including tick-borne diseases. Livestock in Pakistan is highly infested with ectoparasites (mosquitoes and ticks) and endoparasites (gastrointestinal and haemoparasites). Among ectoparasites, ticks are the main threat for livestock industry in Pakistan (Farzana et al. 2010), due to wide habitat use and broad diversity of mammalian and avian hosts. Tick distribution and infestation are increasing day by day due to change in climate and biodiversity.