Development cycle of Ornithodoros peruvianus Kohls, Clifford and Jones (Ixodoidea: Argasidae) under laboratory conditions

Abstract

The objective of this study was to describe the developmental biology of the tick Ornithodoros peruvianus Kohls, Clifford and Jones under laboratory conditions. A total of 174 live specimens of O. peruvianus at different stages were collected from caves located on Pan de Azúcar Island (26°09’S, 70°41’W) and Tal Tal (25°15’S, 70°15’W). In the laboratory, ticks were fed on rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and kept in acrylic tubes under controlled conditions of humidity and temperature (average of 75% +/- 5 and 23 +/- 1°C, respectively), and a 12 hour photoperiod. The minimum period between stages were: oviposition to egg hatching: 9 days; larva to nymph one: 44 days (44-56); nymph one to nymph two: 10 days (10-20); nymph two to male: 66 days (66-84); nymph two to nymph three: 68 days, and nymph three to female: 42 days. Oviposition occurred in 24 females, with an average of 70 (15-133) eggs per female after the first bloodmeal. The total time to complete the cycle under laboratory conditions was 185 days on average (SD = 17.43). O. peruvianus may require three nymphal stages to molt into an adult female and only two to molt into an adult male. The selected environmental conditions, host and photoperiod are important factors that must now be considered to better understand the factors that affect developmental times of this tick.