Argas (Persicargas) persicus life-cycle under controlled and outdoor conditions
1980 - Volume: 21 Issue: 2 pages: 163-172
Keywords
Argas (Persicargas) persicus
life cycle
Abstract
Argas (Persicargas) persicus (Oken, 1818) is the type species of the subgenus and is the vector of several agents infectious to humans and to birds. Comparative data оп its life cycle under laboratory conditions (30-320 С, 75 % RH, pigeon hosts) and under Cairo area natural outdoor conditions are presented. The cycle requires 63-178 days in the laboratory, 111-260 days outdoors. Except for larvae and third-instar nymphs (Nз), the survival period of starved ticks is longer in the laboratory (L, N1, N2, Nз, 3, males, females: 34, 108, 77, 199, 292, 293 days, respectively) than outdoors (56, 34, 52, 248, 154, 161 days, respectively). Copulation is essential to obtain viable eggs. Maturation age for the female is 7 days, for the male is 2 days. Feeding is not essential for male viability. During winter-early spring (November-April) outdoors, females undergo ovarian diapause and few feed; in the laboratory feeding and oviposit continue throughout the year except in February. Female fecundity (in the laboratory) is reduced after repeated feedings Under the conditions cited, parent adults must Ье replaced from nature to maintain а strong laboratory colony.
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