LABORATORY BIOLOGY OF ORNITHODOROS-(ALECTOROBIUS)-PUERTORICENSIS (ACARI, ARGASIDAE)

The laboratory biology of Ornithodoros (Alectorobius) puertoricensis Fox was studied over a 2-yr period. Approximately 100-150 ticks were reared individually at each of four temperatures: 22, 27, 33, and 40-degrees-C and 90-95% RH. The mean egg incubation periods at those temperatures were 20.3, 11.1, 7.3, and 6.1 d, respectively. The average larval feeding period was 5.8 +/-1.5 d for 15,875 larvae that fed on guinea pigs. The development times for first to fourth nymphal instars were as follows: 11.7, 48.5, 75.1, and 92.1 d, respectively, at 22-degrees-C; 5.8, 18.8, 38.0, and 36.0 d, respectively, at 27-degrees-C; 4.2, 10.5, 14.9, and 38.1 d, respectively, at 33-degrees-C; and 5.8, 10.7, 21.2, and 35.3 d, respectively, at 40-degrees-C. Males usually eclosed after three or four molts, and females usually eclosed after four or five molts. Approximately 10% of all nymphs required more than one blood meal per instar at least once during development. Twenty pairs of adults were held at each of three temperatures (22, 27, and 33-degrees-C) for a year to study reproductive behavior. The number of gonotrophic cycles per female per year was 6.9, 9.8, and 10.8 at 22, 27, and 33-degrees-C, respectively. The mean duration of the gonotrophic cycle was 42.3 d at 22-degrees-C, 25.5 d at 27-degrees-C, and 20.5 d at 33-degrees-C. Mean egg production per female per gonotrophic cycle was 151 at 22-degrees-C, 117 at 27-degrees-C, and 130 at 33-degrees-C and was not affected by temperature. O puertoricensis did not exhibit autogeny or parthenogenesis. Hyperparasitism was observed in immatures and adults.