Life Histories of Ticks under Laboratory Conditions (Acarina: Ixodidae and Argasidae)

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Inexpensive and convenient techniques of rearing ticks on laboratory animals and minimum life cycles of ticks obtained under laboratory conditions are described. New and improved techniques necessary to obtain ticks of known age at different stages of development for use in tests of insecticide toxicity are presented for 6 species: Argas persicus; Ornithodoros coriaceus; Ornithodoros moubata; Otobius megnini; Amblyomma americanum; Dermacentor andersoni. A successful rearing technique for O. megnini on the shaved abdomen of rabbits is described as is the simple technique for feeding larvae of A. persicus on birds. The design of a cloth-zipper girdle for feeding specimens of O. moubata and O. coriaceus on rabbits, the construction of a modified "tick-picker" for ixodid species, the inoculation of rabbits with Nembutal Sodium prior to their handling and prior to feeding ticks, and the provision of intervals for larvae and nymphs to complete cuticle hardening, are additional techniques described to further assist the scientific worker. The life cycles of the ixodid species are reduced to a minimum of 2.5 and 3 months, respectively. Minimum life cycles of 2.5 and 8 months are obtained for O. moubata and O. coriaceus, respectively.
Keywords