Mortality rate of adult ticks due to infection by entomopathogenic nematodes.
The mortality of Boophilus annulatus, Hyalomma excavatum, Rhipicephalus bursa, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus adult ticks was recorded after their exposure in petri dishes to 5 entomopathogenic nematode strains. The strains used were DT and Mexican of Steinernema carpocapsae, Hb HP88 of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, and IS-3 and IS-5 of Heterorhabditis sp. The most rapid killing rates (LT50 and LT90) were observed for B. annulatus ticks (0.8-5.0 days). Most unfed males died 0.3-2.8 days after the unfed females, whereas even more time (0.8-8.0 days) passed before engorged females died. In most bioassays, the IS-3 and IS-5 strains of Heterorhabditis sp. nematodes appear to be the most pathogenic for ticks and, in most cases, killed ticks several days before the other 3 nematode strains. Unfed adult ticks exposed to nematodes died within less time than it takes for adults to complete their prefeeding period after molting.
Samish
M
M
Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel.
Alekseev
E
E
Glazer
I
I
D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood; D004435:Eating / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D017168:Rhabditida / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D017172:Rhabditoidea / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D013987:Ticks / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014774:Virulence