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Acquired immunity to larvae of Amblyomma marmoreum and Ahebraeum by tortoises, guinea‐pigs and guinea‐fowl
Author(s) -
FIELDEN L. J.,
RECHAV Y.,
BRYSON N. R.
Publication year - 1992
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.1365-2915.1992.tb00614.x
Subject(s) - biology , amblyomma , tick , ixodidae , acari , host (biology) , larva , parasitiformes , guinea fowl , veterinary medicine , zoology , ecology , medicine
. A study of acquired resistance in guinea‐pigs, guinea‐fowl and tortoises to larvae of the ticks Amblyomma hebraeum Koch and A.marmoreum Koch (Acari: Ixodidae) showed that repeated infestations of the laboratory host resulted in a 29.3–49.4% reduction respectively in weight of engorged larvae. No resistance was induced in guinea‐fowl, the natural host for larvae of both species. A small decline in the mean weight of engorged larvae was observed for both species of ticks after three successive infestations on tortoises. The reduction in weight was more pronounced in A.hebraeum (14.5%) which does not naturally feed on tortoises than for A.marmoreum (8.4%), a common tick on this host. The occurrence of acquired resistance in natural tick host relationships as opposed to unnatural tick host relationships is discussed.