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Effect of food deprivation on response of the mite, Dermanyssus gallinae , to heat
Author(s) -
Kilpinen O.,
Mullens B. A.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
medical and veterinary entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1365-2915
pISSN - 0269-283X
DOI - 10.1111/j.0269-283x.2004.00522.x
Subject(s) - mite , biology , acari , zoology , veterinary medicine , ecology , medicine
. Freshly blood‐fed adult females of the chicken mite Dermanyssus gallinae DeGeer (Acari: Dermanysidae) were food‐deprived during 1, 2–3, 8–10, 14–16 and 22–23 days. These mites were tested in groups of 10 to determine their sensitivity to a heat cue delivered for a 60 s period under controlled laboratory conditions (24°C, simulated dark conditions of 2 lx). Immobile mites were videotaped and start of activation (for individual mites) and percentage of mites activated in the 60 s period were related to temperature changes. Mites were activated with temperature gradients as low as 0.003–0.005°C/s. Mites that had fed the previous day had a significantly lower activation (20%) than other groups. Activation was highest at 2–3 days (60%) and 8–10 days (75%) post‐feeding. Activation declined significantly to 45% at 14–16 days and to 30% at 22–23 days post‐feeding. Activation patterns probably reflect mite physiological condition and declining responsiveness to heat cues concomitant with starvation and higher risks associated with activation in the prolonged absence of a host.