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Background and purpose: Hard ticks are the most important vectors of some diseases including babesios, theileriosis, and Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever that affect both animals and humans. Among the members of this family, Rhipicephalus bursa is one of the most important vectors of babesios and theileriosis in Iran and around the world. Therefore, detection of abundance and seasonal dynamics of this species can play an important role in better understanding of the epidemiology of the diseases they transmit. Materials and methods: A year round sampling of R. bursa was conducted from July 2007 to July 2008 in three topographical areas including: highland, woodland and lowland in Sari, Iran. The seasonal activity, species abundance and frequencies for presence or absence of the species were investigated in two hosts, sheep and cattle. Morisita index was applied to determine the similarity of species abundance in three regions. Results: The results showed that in all study areas the highest activity of tick was observed in spring and summer which decreased to zero in autumn and winter. The highest abundance of R. bursa was found in highland in spring (n=376) and summer (n=352). The highest frequency of tick was recorded in sheep during spring in highland and lowland and during summer in woodland. Similarity index of R. bursa showed woodland and highland as the most similar areas based on species abundance. Conclusion: Compared to cattle, high frequency and infestation rate of R. bursa were observed in sheep flock. Therefore, control programs should be directed more in sheep and preventive measures should be taken in highland during spring and summer.

Keywords: Seasonal activity, species abundance, species frequency, Rhipicephalus bursa, Sari

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