Successful colonization of trombiculid mites with notes on life histories of three species
Kulkarni, S.M.; Mahadev, P.V.
Indian Journal of Medical Research 61(3): 352-360
1973
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-5340 PMID: 4756208 Document Number: 57393
The Trombiculids Leptotrombidium deliense (Walch), L. akamushi (Brumpt) and Herpetacarus longisetosa (Hiregaudar) are maintained and bred in the laboratory in India using a simplification of the methods used by earlier workers [cf. 58, 968, 1090]. Engorged larvae are reared in cylindrical plastic breeding jars kept at the required humidity in desiccators. The perforated base of the jar is sealed with a mixture of plaster of paris and activated charcoal, which is soaked in water before use and covered with a thin layer of soil. Culex eggs are provided as food. Eggs laid by the mites are removed weekly to fresh jars. When sufficient larvae have accumulated, they are transferred with a camel hair brush to the ears of mice restrained in small cages or are allowed to attach to a caged mouse placed in the jar. Each mouse is subsequently kept in a larger cage above a double tray consisting of two petri dishes placed one inside the other. The inner dish is filled with the plaster mixture, and the circular channel surrounding it is filled with water, into which most of the engorged mites crawl and from which they can easily be collected.Two colonies of L. deliense, which have since reached the F2 generation, and one each of L. akamushi and H. longisetosa, which have since reached the F3 and F4 generations, were started in 1970 from engorged larvae taken from wild rodents (Rattus spp. and Suncus murinus) collected near Poona, India. At 24-28 deg C, L. deliense took 136-338 days to complete its life-cycle, L. akamushi 76-196 and H. longisetosa 83-127. The periods occupied by different stages of the life-cycle of all three mites are given.