Morphological description of Amblyomma brasiliense Aragão, 1908 (Acari: Ixodidae) larvae and nymphs

The immature stages of Neotropical ticks are poorly known and in many cases have not been described. This work presents a morphological description of Amblyomma brasiliense larvae (F1) and a redescription of nymphs (F1). A. brasiliense is reported as one of the most aggressive ticks to humans in Brazil. Immature ticks obtained from a laboratory colony initiated from adult specimens collected in the Parque Estadual Intervales (24º 18' S and 48º 24' W), São Paulo, Brazil, were analyzed under scanning electron microscope, and also under light and stereoscopic microscopes. A. brasiliense larvae present basis capituli rectangular; short palpi; rounded idiosoma; coxa I with two spurs, the external one being longer than the internal one; and coxae II and III each with one short spur. Nymphs present basis capituli rectangular with a sharp pointed cornua; oval idiosoma with scutum reaching coxa III; coxa I with two evident spurs, the external one being longer than the internal one; coxae II-III each with one short spur; and coxa IV with a very short spur and chitinous tubercles on internal surface of posterior border of idiosoma. These morphological features, in association with chaetotaxy and porotaxy, should make possible the identification of immature Amblyomma ticks.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sanches,Gustavo Seron, Bechara,Gervásio Henrique, Camargo-Mathias,Maria I.
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Colégio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinária 2009
Online Access:http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1984-29612009000300003
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