title: Megaselia scalaris reared on Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus laboratory cultures.
abstract: Different laboratory cultures of the acarine tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini, 1888) (Ixodida: Ixodidae) were infested by small Megaselia scalaris (Loew, 1866) (Diptera: Phoridae) flies. Larvae of this species exhibited opportunistic parasitism predominantly on engorged female ticks, causing severe damage to their cuticle through which the flies were able to reach R. microplus internal organs, on which they fed until developing into pupae in the tick's remains. The flies were kept by continuous propagation on fresh ticks over six generations during which the same parasitoid behaviour was observed. Here we report on an ixodid tick laboratory culture used for rearing M. scalaris.
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Parasitología Veterinaria, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciónes Forestales y Agrícolas y Pecuarías, Jiutepec, Mexico.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miranda-Miranda
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cossio-Bayugar
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martinez-Ibañez
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Bautista-Garfias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory / Q000469:parasitology*; D004175:Diptera / Q000502:physiology*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D007814:Larva; D010063:Ovum; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D011679:Pupa; D048494:Rhipicephalus / Q000469:parasitology*