Life cycle of Ixodes schulzei (Acari: Ixodidae) in the laboratory, and demonstration of reproduction by parthenogenesis
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ARTHROPODS AND MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY - ORIGINAL PAPER
Life cycle of Ixodes schulzei (Acari: Ixodidae) in the laboratory, and demonstration of reproduction by parthenogenesis João F. Soares 1 & Thiago F. Martins 2,3 & Herbert S. Soares 4 & Fernanda A. Nieri-Bastos 2 & Marcelo B. Labruna 2,5 Received: 2 September 2020 / Accepted: 4 November 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Ixodes schulzei is an ixodid tick that parasitizes Cricetidae rodents, chiefly the South American water rat, Nectomys squamipes, in Brazil and Argentina. In the present study, we evaluated the life cycle of I. schulzei by exposing larvae and nymphs to feed on two rodent species, N. squamipes and Calomys callosus (large vesper mouse),while adult ticks were exposed to feed on N. squamipes. Off-host developmental periods were observed in an incubator at 27 °C, 95% relative humidity, and 0:24 (light:dark) regimen. Larvae and nymphs successfully fed on either C. callosus or N. squamipes. Mean larval and nymphal feeding periods were 8.8 and 8.7 days on N. squamipes and 8.5 and 9.7 days on C. callosus. The majority of engorged larvae (79.0–80.8%) and nymphs (67.0–86.0%) successfully molted to nymphs and adults, respectively. Mean premolt periods were 11.5–11.7 days for engorged larvae and 22.5–23.7 days for engorged nymphs. Only adult females emerged from engorged nymphs, regardless of host species, i.e., none of 120 engorged nymphs molted to male. Around 18% of the unfed females presented teratologies compatible with the metagynander type of gynandromorphism. Ixodes schulzei adult females successfully fed (mean feeding period, 9.4 days), oviposited, and presented high reproductive performance (high engorged weight, egg mass weight, and % egg mass hatching), in the absence of male ticks. Our results showed that I. schulzei successfully reproduces by parthenogenesis, and corroborate field data that indicate N. squamipes as the most important host for this tick species. The male of I. schulzei remains unknown. Keywords Tick . Biology . Parthenogenesis . Nectomys squamipes . Calomys callosus . Brazil
Introduction Section Editor: Neil Bruce Chilton * Marcelo B. Labruna [email protected] 1
Departamento de Patologia Clínica Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
2
Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
3
Departamento de Laboratórios Especializados, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
4
Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Bem-Estar Animal e Saúde Única, Universidade Santo Amaro, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
5
Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP 05508-270, Brazil
Ixodes schulzei Aragão & Fonseca, 1951, is an ixodid tick that has been reported in Brazil and Argentina,
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