Ovipositional Biology of the Southern Cattle Tick, Boophilus Microplus (Acari: Ixodidae), in the Laboratory

Abstract

Female southern cattle ticks, Boophilus microplus , were allowed to engorge on bovine hosts and were held at 27 ± 1 °C and 80 ± 10% RH under a 12-h photophase. Daily, 50 female ticks were disturbed for removal of eggs; 50 were allowed to oviposit without disturbance. The average preoviposition period was 3.0 and 3.2 days for disturbed and undisuturbed females, respectively, and produced no significant difference between groups. The weight of a freshly laid egg averaged 47.7 μg. The average weight of an egg before hatch was 43.8 μg. The average minimum incubation time was 23.3 days. The number of eggs laid by disturbed females did not differ significantly from the number laid by undisturbed females. A highly significant positive correlation (>0.8) was obtained between the weight of the female and the numbers of eggs laid by both groups. The Index of Conversion Efficiency (weight of eggs per weight of female) was significantly lower for eggs laid by disturbed females. The average daily oviposition peaked (>800 eggs/day) the 3rd day after egg deposition began. An average of >500 eggs/day were laid on days 2–6. After day 6, the rate declined steadily. The length of the oviposition period averaged 17.2 days.