Reproduction in Amblyomma triguttatum triguttatum
1986 - Volume: 27 Issue: 3 pages: 235-239
Keywords
Ticks
copulation
age
weight
temperature
ethology
pheromone
Abstract
Few female Amblyomma triguttatum triguttatum caught from the vegetation had copulated. The age of unfed females did not affect mating. Males lost weight after being on the host and there was no evidence that they fed. Unfed males performed a mean of 2.7 matings. During copulation they introduced only the cheliceral digits into the female genital aperture. Copulation lasted longer after the first mating. The initial pre-copulation period of unfed males was longer at 25°C than at 30 or 35°C. Unfed adults released pheromone(s) with inter- and/or intra-sex attraction. lt is suggested that copulation normally takes place around the time of female attachment to a host; this provides the highest fertility of the eggs.
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