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Bloodmeal ingestion and utilization as a component of host specificity in the tick,Boophilus microplus

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Abstract

Details are given of an in vitro system for feeding femaleBoophilus microplus, the cattle tick, during the final phase of engorgement. Using this system, it has been shown that ticks fed bovine, rabbit, rat or guinea pig blood will commence feeding on all four, but engorge and oviposit successfully only when fed the blood of the natural host. They not only feed less on the blood of other species, but also concentrate blood components of the meal to a lesser degree. This is likely to be one factor explaining the host specificity of the tick.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Tropical Animal Science, Long Pocket Laboratories, CSIRO, Private Bag No. 3, P.O., 4068, Indooroopilly, Queensland, Australia

    P. Willadsen, D. H. Kemp & R. V. McKenna

Authors
  1. P. Willadsen
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  2. D. H. Kemp
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  3. R. V. McKenna
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Willadsen, P., Kemp, D.H. & McKenna, R.V. Bloodmeal ingestion and utilization as a component of host specificity in the tick,Boophilus microplus . Z. Parasitenkd. 70, 415–420 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00927829

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00927829

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