Life Cycle of Amblyomma romitii (Acari: Ixodidae) Under Laboratory Conditions

The life cycle of Amblyomma romitii Tonelli-Rondelli, 1939 is reported for the first time, using rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) for larvae and capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) for nymphs and adults, as experimental hosts. Developmental periods of free-living stages were observed in an incubator at 27 ± 1°C, 80 ± 10% relative humidity (RH), and 24-h darkness. The life cycle of A. romitii in the laboratory could be completed in an average period of 216.4 d. The overall sex ratio (M:F) was 1:1.4. The results showed that rabbits are quite suitable as experimental hosts for the larval stages of A. romitii, while capybaras are suitable experimental hosts for nymphs and adults.

Source: Journal of Medical Entomology - January 12, 2016 Category: Biology Authors: Landulfo, G. A., Luz, H. R., Sampaio, J. S., Faccini, J. L. H., Barros-Battesti, D. M. Tags: Development, Life History Source Type: research