Important ectoparasites of Alpaca (Vicugna pacos)

Background Alpacas (Vicugna pacos), earlier named Lama pacos, belong to the family Camelidae of which there are 7 living species. Four are native to South America and of those four two are domestic species, the alpaca (Vicugna pacos) and the llama (Lama glama) and two are wild, the vicuña (Vicugna vicugna) and the guanaco (Lama guanicoe). These species are often referred to as the New World camels (NWCs) or the South American Camels (SACs) [1]. To the three Old World camels (OWCs) belong the bactrians or the two-humped camel (Camelus bactrianus). Lately it has been established that there are two different species of bactrians, one domesticated and one wild endangered species [2]. The latter lives on the border between Mongolia and China. The other domesticated OWC species is the more well known, the one-humped or the dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius). The Camelidae evolved and developed parallel to the Ruminantiae over 35 million years ago in North America [1] and have developed special anatomical and physiological features which are of great significance to their biology, well adapted to the extreme climatic environments of the rough countries of deserts and semi-deserts of Asia, the Middle East and Northern Africa (OWC) and the high altitude country of the Andes in South America (SAC/NWC), respectively. The Camelidae (long neck and small head) are members of the order of Artiodactyla (even number of digits), suborder Tylopoda (modified ruminants with pad or callus on each foot). All camelids have 37 pairs of chromosomes and the karyotypes are quite similar. The SACs can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. Important livestock The alpacas as well as the llamas were and still are very important livestock in large areas of South America, particularly in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina ([3,4,1]. Since the llamas and alpacas were domesticated about 4-5000 BC [1], they have been the most important resource of human culture and survival in the high altitude environments of the Andes. The SACs are better adapted than any other domesticated species to the very cold, hard and fragile areas with very low oxygen pressure (altitudes between 4-5000m). Alpaca provide meat, hides, fuel, manure and particularly very fine fibres (wool), which are highly priced. Today more than 500,000 peasant families are raising SACs in the Andes and these livestock are the main source of income for the campesinos. Increasing numbers of alpaca are being imported to various countries outside of South America including Europe for wool production, breeding and as companion animals. This is a fairly recent phenomenon that started with larger exports from Chile in 1983-84, first to North America [1].