Evaluation of an in vitro method to measure behavioural diapause in the tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus (Acarina: Ixodidae) in the laboratory.
A new method has been developed to investigate behavioral diapause in adult Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks. It is based on a system of gauze columns in which the activity of the ticks can be monitored in the laboratory. An experiment was conducted, involving different photoperiodic conditions during the nymph-to-adult moulting and pre-questing periods, with the aim of comparing the results obtained by the in vitro method with those of the standard in vivo method. Comparable results were obtained with both methods.
Madder
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M
Institute of Tropical Medicine, Department of Animal Health, Antwerpen, Belgium. mmadder@itg.be
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D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D008027:Light; D010274:Parasitology / Q000379:methods*; D011817:Rabbits; D013987:Ticks / Q000502:physiology*