title: Impact of humidity on clustered tick eggs.
abstract: Eclosion of larvae from clustered tick eggs (1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50, and ±1,000 eggs) of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Rs), Rhipicephalus microplus (Rm), Amblyomma cajennense (Ac), and Dermacentor nitens (Dn) was investigated at 43, 75, and > 98% relative humidity (RH) and 25 °C. Susceptibility of eggs to dehydration varied among tick species (Rs < Rm < Ac and Dn) and the number of clustered eggs but even singularized eggs of all tested species matured, and larvae eclosed at RH > 98%. A minimum of 25 clustered eggs and relative humidity close to saturation is suggested for quantitative tests on ovicidal activity of acaricides for related tick species.
authors.affiliation: DMIPP, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, CP 131, Goiânia, GO, 74001-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Walmirton B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: D'Alessandro
authors.forename: Juscelino
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Everton K K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003870:Dermacentor / Q000502:physiology*; D006813:Humidity; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000502:physiology*; D007814:Larva / Q000502:physiology; D010063:Ovum / Q000502:physiology; D048494:Rhipicephalus / Q000502:physiology*; D048508:Rhipicephalus sanguineus / Q000502:physiology