Accumulating process and concentration ratios of ingested blood meals in larvae and nymphs of ten species of ticks
Kitaoka, S.; Fujisaki, K.
National Institute of Animal Health Quarterly 16(3): 114-121
1976
ISSN/ISBN: 0027-951X PMID: 980120 Document Number: 107953
In laboratory investigations on the accumulating process and concentration ratios of ingested blood-meals in the larvae and nymphs of Amblyomma testudinarium Koch, Haemaphysalis campanulata Warb., H. concinna Koch, H. formosensis Neum., H. hystricis Sup., H. kitaokai Hoogst., H. longicornis Neum., H. megaspinosa Saito and Ixodes persulcatus Schulze on rabbits and Argas japonicus Yamaguti, Clifford & Tipton on chickens, the larvae and nymphs of the ixodid ticks and the larvae of A. japonicus concentrated the blood-meals up to about 3 times. In general, the larvae showed low concentration ratios due to their tendency to imbibe a certain proportion of non-blood components. The nymphs generally showed high concentration ratios. H. kitaokai belongs to the subgenus Alloceraea, the members of which are very rapid feeders. It showed a high activity in concentrating ingested blood-meal, and presented the same general pattern of feeding as the other ixodid ticks, which are very slow feeders.