Age-Related Changes in Midgut Ultrastructure and Surface Tegument of Unfed Adult Lone Star Ticks

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Abstract
Changes in midgut ultrastructure and surface tegument were examined in 2 laboratory-reared populations of unfed, adult, lone star ticks [from Lepus europaeus]. Many solitary, electron-dense, Fe-containing siderosomes were present in the midgut epithelium at 0 mo. Siderosomes became progressively smaller in the aging epithelium . The midgut epithelium was devoid of large, lysed siderosomes by 6 mo. Glycogen was plentiful at 6 mo. Nine and 12 mo. ticks had numerous myelinosiderosomes, structures that contain myelin figures and electron-dense, Fe-containing particles produced by the lysosomal degradation of hemoglobin. The cervical groove ratio (anterior margin of the scutellum:cervical groove length) decreased with age in the unfed female from 4.057 to 2.357 at 0 mo. and 12 mo., respectively. The cervical groove in the unfed male did not change with age. Changes in the midgut epithelium and cervical groove ratio may be used as indicators of physiological age of laboratory-reared, unfed, adult, lone star ticks.

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