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In vitro feeding of Hyalomma lusitanicum ticks on artificial membranes

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Abstract

In vitro feeding of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) is an important means to study the biology of ticks and their vectorial capacity. Here, we have adapted the tick Hyalomma lusitanicum Koch to previously published silicone-based membranes for in vitro feeding. For comparison purposes data on pre-oviposition, oviposition and hatching from females engorged on animals were used. A total of 68 engorged females out of 169 were obtained; feeding duration and feeding behaviour were similar to that of ticks on live host animals, although the final weight achieved for membrane-fed ticks was lower than that of their animal-fed counterparts. Comparison of the time taken for egg production and hatching showed that pre-oviposition was faster for membrane-fed ticks (16 days) than for animal-fed ticks (36 days), whereas the duration of oviposition–hatching was the same for the two feeding methods (34 days). We also observed that seasonality has an influence on tick feeding success: the conditions in Spring/Summer accelerated the tick life cycle. It is concluded that relatively large numbers of homogeneous laboratory-raised Hyalomma ticks can be produced without feeding them on experimental animals.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are especially grateful to his Grace the Duke of Westminster, for his support during all the studies. This project was financed by the Villamagna SA and the project RTA-2014-00080-00-00.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grupo de Parasitología Animal, Animalario del Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agria y Alimentaria (INIA), 28040, Madrid, Spain

    F. Valcárcel & A. Aguilar

  2. Villamagna SA, Finca “La Garganta”, 14440, Villanueva de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain

    J. González

  3. Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    A. S. Olmeda

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  1. J. González
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  2. F. Valcárcel
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  3. A. Aguilar
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  4. A. S. Olmeda
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Correspondence to F. Valcárcel.

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González, J., Valcárcel, F., Aguilar, A. et al. In vitro feeding of Hyalomma lusitanicum ticks on artificial membranes. Exp Appl Acarol 72, 449–459 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-017-0167-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-017-0167-1

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