The structure of the Spiracles of the cattle tick, Boophilus microplus

1967 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 941 ◽  
Author(s):  
HE Hinton
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Adult Tick ◽  
Boophilus Microplus ◽  
Ixodid Ticks ◽  
Cattle Tick ◽  
Serial Sections ◽  
Peripheral Part ◽  
Gas Exchanges ◽  
Spiracular Plate

The structures of the nymphal and adult spiracles of the tick, Boophilus microplus, have been examined by means of serial sections and a stereoscan electron microscope. Contrary to the views of recent writers, the functional openings of the spiracle have been found to be holes or aeropyles in the peripheral part of the spiracular plate of the adult tick. The ostium of previous writers is shown to be the ecdysial tube, which is present only in the spiracles of adult ixodid ticks. After the nymphal-adult ecdysis, the ecdysial tube is closed. There is thus no ostium in this stage, as has been claimed by previous writers who supposed that the chief or only route for gas exchanges between the atrium of the spiracle and the ambient air was through the so-called ostium. The ecdysial process of the spiracles of ticks is shown to be basically similar to the ecdysial process of the spiracles of certain insects such as scarabaeid larvae and the larvae of some Diptera-Cyclorrhapha.

Ixodid ticks avoid contact with liquid water

1999 ◽  
Vol 202 (14) ◽  
pp. 1877-1883
Author(s):  
T. Krober ◽  
P.M. Guerin
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Water ◽  
Direct Contact ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Boophilus Microplus ◽  
Ixodid Ticks ◽  
Cattle Tick ◽  
High Humidity ◽  
Life Stages ◽  
Dry Patch ◽  
Wet Surface

Larvae of the cattle tick Boophilus microplus and all life stages of the European sheep tick Ixodes ricinus avoid walking on a wet membrane surface surrounding a dry patch. Of 170 reactions made at a border with liquid water by 22 B. microplus larvae, 40% consisted of immediate turns to the opposite side to bring all the legs back onto a dry patch, 41% were walks along the border, during which the ticks maintained contact with both the dry and wet zones, and 19% were returns to the dry patch after a short excursion onto the wet surround. Since contact with one front leg tip was sufficient to cause return reactions from the wet surface in most of the border contacts, the water receptor(s) that enable ticks to perceive the wet surface are probably located in terminal pore sensilla on the first-leg tarsi. Observations on the return reactions of ticks with different groups of chemosensilla masked confirmed this. Ticks have an ambiguous relationship with water: they appear to avoid direct contact with it, but they need a high humidity to compensate for any deficit in body water.

Observations on infestations of undipped cattle of British breeds with the cattle tick, Boophilus microplus (Canestrini).

1955 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 655 ◽  
Author(s):  
PR Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
Tick Infestation ◽  
Adult Tick ◽  
Boophilus Microplus ◽  
Cattle Tick ◽  
Skin Thickness ◽  
Small Areas ◽  
Thickness Measurements ◽  
Tick Resistance

A small herd of cattle infested with the cattle tick, Boophilus microplus (Canestrini) was kept in a previously unstocked paddock for 11 months without treatment for tick infestation. Frequent examinations showed that widely differing numbers of ticks developed on the cattle. The "tick resistance" of one animal, which showed no adult ticks during the summer months, could only be accounted for by mortality of the larvae and nymphs on the animal, since as many larvae were seen on selected small areas of this animal as on some animals carrying many adult ticks. The animals grazed together and thus would encounter similar numbers of tick larvae. The degree of susceptibility to adult tick infestation showed negligible correlation with skin thickness measurements and was not related to coat length. Larvae reappeared on the cattle 6 weeks after the first stocking of the paddock in March. The animals became almost free of ticks for 2 weeks in August. Although larvae were most numerous in November-December, they gave rise to fewer adults than the earlier wave of larvae in September- October. Some of the cattle suffered from "tick-worry'' in October, but thereafter their condition improved without treatment.

Structure and ecdysial process of the larval spiracles of the scarabaeoidea, with special reference to those of Lepidoderma

1967 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 947 ◽  
Author(s):  
HE Hinton
Keyword(s):  
Special Reference ◽  
Electron Micrographs ◽  
Epidermal Cells ◽  
Ambient Atmosphere ◽  
Serial Sections ◽  
Gas Exchanges ◽  
Spiracular Plate

The structure of the larval spiracles of the scarabaeid beetle, Lepidoderma albohirtum Waterh., has been examined by means of serial sections and stereoscan electron micrographs of whole and dissected specimens. Gas exchanges with the ambient atmosphere are effected through aeropyles in the spiracular plate. The aeropyles are of two types: (1) slit-like aeropyles about 4 � long and 0.1-0.5 � wide; and (2) round or oval aeropyles that are usually about 0.2-0.3 u wide. The ecdysial tube is often open in preparations, and this has led to the commonly expressed view that it is the chief or only opening into the spiracular atrium. The open condition of the ecdysial tube in preparations is an artifact. The formation of a new spiracle is briefly described. Cuticular struts project inwards from the peritreme and branch at their apices. Then the apical branches divide and those from different struts anastomose to form the plate and the network immediately below the plate. All of these structures are secreted by very long cytoplasmic projections. The nuclei of the epidermal cells remain in the region of the peritreme and do not enter the main columns of cytoplasm that in due course secrete the cuticular struts. The cytoplasmic columns that form the largest struts consist of projections from many epidermal cells. The chief differences in the structure of the spiracles within the superfamily Scarabaeoidea are briefly noted. A closing apparatus is present in the Trogidae, Lucanidae, Passalidae, and Glaphyrinae but is absent in the Geotrupidae and Scarabaeidae. The ecdysial process in primitive Scarabaeoidea is of the typical elateroid type, whereas specialized Scarabaeoidea have a bulla that carries the ecdysial tube. The modified elateroid process of specialized forms is here named the pseudopanorpoid type. The spiracles of some species of Trox are biforous. Those of other species of Trox and all other Scarabaeoidea examined are cribriform. The cribriform type of spiracle has been evolved on at least two occasions within the superfamily.

scholarly journals Proteomics Approach to the Study of Cattle Tick Adaptation to White Tailed Deer

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Popara ◽  
Margarita Villar ◽  
Lourdes Mateos-Hernández ◽  
Isabel G. Fernández de Mera ◽  
José de la Fuente
Keyword(s):  
Animal Health ◽  
Boophilus Microplus ◽  
Host Factors ◽  
Cattle Tick ◽  
Host Proteins ◽  
Tick Feeding ◽  
Blood Digestion ◽  
Cattle Ticks ◽  
Proteomics Approach ◽  
Single Host

Cattle ticks,Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, are a serious threat to animal health and production. Some ticks feed on a single host species while others such asR. microplusinfest multiple hosts. White tailed deer (WTD) play a role in the maintenance and expansion of cattle tick populations. However, cattle ticks fed on WTD show lower weight and reproductive performance when compared to ticks fed on cattle, suggesting the existence of host factors that affect tick feeding and reproduction. To elucidate these factors, a proteomics approach was used to characterize tick and host proteins inR. microplusticks fed on cattle and WTD. The results showed thatR. microplusticks fed on cattle have overrepresented tick proteins involved in blood digestion and reproduction when compared to ticks fed on WTD, while host proteins were differentially represented in ticks fed on cattle or WTD. Although a direct connection cannot be made between differentially represented tick and host proteins, these results suggested that differentially represented host proteins together with other host factors could be associated with higherR. microplustick feeding and reproduction observed in ticks fed on cattle.

Domestic dogs as hosts of the cattle tick, Boophilus microplus

1964 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 854 ◽  
Author(s):  
HMD Hoyte
Keyword(s):  
Adult Female ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Boophilus Microplus ◽  
Domestic Dogs ◽  
Cattle Tick

Larval B. microplus were placed on 36 domestic dogs, about half of which were adults and half were puppies. Ticks matured on the adults only. The yield of adult female ticks was very low and variable (average for all dogs, 0.01%); more time was needed to mature than on cattle, and size and egg production were reduced. Most of the resulting larvae matured successfully when placed on cattle. No ticks matured on the small number of young foxes and dingoes which were tested. It is suggested that the unconsidered presence of dogs represents some risk to the success of campaigns to eradicate this tick.

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