The Sensory Nervous System of the Adult Cattle Tick Boophilus Microplus (Canestrini) Ixodidae Part Ii. Scanning Electron Microscopy

Abstract

The morphology of the sensory receptors on tarsus I and on the mouthparts of the cattle tick Boophiitis ~~i c r o p h r s were examined by means of scanning electron microscopy. Features not resolved by light microscopy were revealed. The number of seiisilla and their morphology are unique to B. tnicrophrs though similar to those of other tick species already described. The sensory setae found include mechanoreceptors, contact and olfactory chemoreceptors. Of s p e c~l interest, on each inner cheliceral digit, is a denticle beuriiig a papilla at its tip and a pit at its base. The functions of these two newly describcd features are not known but it seems likely that they may include contact chcmoreceptors capable of tasting host tissue chemicals. These observations provide the foundation for transmission electron microscopy of the receptors. which is the subject of the third paper in this series. IntroductionScanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been used to study the morpholog: of sensory receptors on the lone star tick A171h/yo171171~1 C I M Z~Y~C C I I Z~~~W (L.) (Bruce 1C 71, Foelix and Axtell 1971, Foelix and Chu-Wang 1972, Chu-Wang and Axtell 1972, 1973, 1974) and on other Ixodid and Argasid species (Axtell et 01. 1971, Sixl et (11. 1971, Roshdy et a/. 1972. Sixl and Nosek 1974. Apart from the brief account of Chow and Wang (1975) this technique has not been used for detailed studies on the sensory receptors of the cattle tick Boophiliis micwplus (Canestrini) Ixodidae. A simple scheme for naming and numbering the sensillti of B. nzicruplrrs has been presented (Waladde 1976). In this study the scanning electron microscope has been used to show their structure in greater detail, thus indicating more clearly their possible functions and providing a basis for transmission electron microscopy and electrophysiological studies. The ultimate purpose of this work is to reveal the functions of the sensory iieuroiies innervating each sensillum. This information will facilitate a rational interpretation of tick behaviour.

Dog hair volatiles attract Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (Acari: Ixodidae) females

“…These 4 compounds evoked SSR responses to 3 different ORNs on DIII.2. These results agree with previous studies that reported that DIII.2 is innervated by 4-5 neurons (Waladde 1976), although one of them is a thermoreceptor (Waladde 1987). The sensillum chaeticum DV.2 of R. sanguineus s.l females possibly has 2 ORNs that were stimulated by isovaleric acid, hexanal, and schnauzer extract.…”

“…The sensillum chaeticum DV.2 of R. sanguineus s.l females possibly has 2 ORNs that were stimulated by isovaleric acid, hexanal, and schnauzer extract. Morphologically, DV.2 contains more than 2 ORNs per sensillum in Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini) adults (Waladde 1976), while the DV.2 of A. americanum may contain 3-4 ORNs of unknown physiological function (Foelix andAxtel 1971, Waladde 1976).…”

THE SENSORY NERVOUS SYSTEM OF THE ADULT CATTLE TICK BOOPHILUS MICROPLUS (CANESTRINI) IXODIDAE. PART III. ULTRA‐STRUCTURE AND ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY OF CHELICERAL RECEPTORS

“…Preliminary morphological studies, using light microscopy and scanning electronmicroscopy, have shown that the chelicerae of B. microplus closely resemble those described from other tick species (Arthur 1946(Arthur , 1951 ; Gregson 1960) apart from the presence of previously undescribed structures resembling sensilla (Waladde 1976(Waladde , 1977. This paper describes the results of transmission electronmicroscopical and electrophysiological studies of the newly found cheliceral sense organs.…”

“…Although the cheliceral papilla was considered previously to be a putative chemoreceptor (Waladde 1976(Waladde , 1977, ultrastructural results have caused this opinion to be revised. Figs 6-8 show that its central depression is not a pore containing dendrites and Fig.…”

Similar Trajectories in Current Alcohol Consumption and Tick-Borne Diseases: Only Parallel Changes in Time or Links Between?

“…Haller’s organ has been suggested to play a role in the perception of other stimuli as well, e.g., infrared light ( Mitchell et al., 2017 ). Ticks can respond to the environment also due to numerous sensory bristles in the body and on the legs, which detect olfactory and thermal stimuli as well as the level of air humidity ( Lees, 1969 ; Waladde, 1977 ). The sense organs include also the so-called areae porosae , a pair of depressions at the base of the head in female Ixodidae ticks ( Woolley, 1972 ; Hess and Vlimant, 1986 ).…”