Comparative Internal Morphology of Subgenera of Argas Ticks (Ixodoidea, Argasidae). I. Subgenus Carios: Argas vespertilionis (Latreille, 1802)

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Abstract
The morphology of the digestive, reproductive, and respiratory systems of Argas vespertilionis, representing the subgenus Carios, is described and compared with that of A. persicus representing the subgenus Argas. Anterolateral lobes from the median portion of the stomach number one pair in persicus. and two pairs in vespertilionis; in the latter species a ventral branch of the second lobe extends anteriorly and ends close to the central nerve mass. A median dorsal lobe arising from the anterior extremity of the stomach proper is present in A. vespertilionis but not in A. persicus. The rectum is comparatively longer in the former species than in the latter. In unfed or fed females of A. vespertilionis, two ovaries, connected together with a very thin strand of tissue and tracheoles, are disposed laterally beside the bilobed uterus, but there is only one transversely located ovary in A. persicus. A prominent swollen, sac-like, portion of the oviduct present in the former species is absent in the latter. The structure of the genital organs of mature males of both species is similar except that the lobes of the accessory gland in vespertilionis vary in shape and length. Three main tracheal trunks arise from the atrium of the spiracle of A. vespertilionis, whereas in A. persicus they number three or five.
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