Fertilization capacity of Boophilus decoloratus (Koch, 1844) (Acarina: Ixodidae).
Thirty individual Boophilus decoloratus (Koch, 1844) males were studied daily, some during the whole observation period of 37 days. Newly moulted males spent a mean of 3, 8 days (range 3-6 on the host before mating. Males mated with between 1-8 females (mean 4, 6), spending 2, 6 days (range 1-10) with each and 0, 5 days (range 0-4) in between females. The time spent by adult males on the host was from 9-37 days. The ability for males to produce viable offspring remained fairly constant with each successive female fertilized. Development took place in eggs produced by unfertilized female ticks but only a very small percentage (mean 0,008%) of these eggs hatched.
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D008297:Male; D010312:Parthenogenesis; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D013987:Ticks / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors