The feeding behaviour on rabbits and in vitro of the Ixodid tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Neumann, 1901

Abstract

A series of observations on the feeding behaviour of a laboratory strain of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus on rabbits and measurements of the fluid consumption during feeding in vitro have been made.Male and female ticks less than 5 weeks after moulting were less inclined to attach than older ticks.Female ticks fed slowly during the early stages of attachment until after approximately 6 days of attachment when engorgement proceeded very rapidly and their body weight increased by approximately thirty times. Male ticks fed steadily until they roughly doubled their weight in approximately 7 days.By an in vitro feeding technique in which whole blood, serum or plasma was offered in capillary tubes placed over the mouthparts, it was possible to measure the volumes absorbed over a period of 24 h. More serum or plasma was consumed than either defibrinated or heparinized blood. After 4 or 5 days’ attachment on a rabbit, females generally consumed greater volumes than males.Dr G. H. Freeman, Head of the Statistics Division of the East African Agriculture and Forestry Organization, kindly carried out the statistical analysis of the quantitative data on the in vitro feeding.Acknowledgements are also due to the technical staff who contributed to this work, especially to Mrs D. Backhurst. Mr K. P. Bailey maintained the colony of R. appendiculatus from which the ticks used in this study were derived.This work was carried out during the assignment of one of us (L.P.J.) by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to the East African Veterinary Research Organization.