College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Hebei Province, China.
Vet Parasitol. 2010 Mar 25;168(3-4):323-8. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2009.11.010. Epub 2009 Nov 20.
In this study, we investigated the life cycle and biological characteristics of all developmental stages of Dermacentor silvarum under field conditions in Hebei province in North China. Larvae, nymphs and adults were fed on rabbits, and maintained under natural lighting and climate conditions. Ticks were released into a confined plot located in natural tick habitat, and we observed the host questing behavior and seasonal occurrence. Due to a behavioral diapause in females and the synchronization of oviposition and larval hatching, D. silvarum only active from late February to early September under field conditions. The duration of the life cycle of D. silvarum was highly variable due to different preovipositional and egg hatching periods for ticks engorging in March, April or May. The developmental periods of larvae (18 days) and nymphs (29 days) under field conditions were similar to those under laboratory conditions. Moreover, there was a highly significant correlation between engorged body weight of females and egg masses laid (r=0.76, p<0.001). The female reproductive efficiency index (REI) in March, April and May was 5.7, 7.1 and 6.2, respectively. Finally, we also observed different ovipositional patterns between females that engorged in the field and those that engorged under laboratory conditions.
在本研究中，我们在河北省野外条件下研究了全沟硬蜱的所有发育阶段的生活史和生物学特性。幼虫、若虫和成虫以兔子为食，并在自然光和气候条件下饲养。将蜱释放到位于天然蜱栖息地的封闭区域，并观察宿主的求偶行为和季节性发生。由于雌性的行为滞育和产卵与幼虫孵化的同步，在野外条件下，Dermacentor silvarum 仅在 2 月下旬至 9 月初活跃。由于 3 月、4 月或 5 月吸血的蜱的预产卵和卵孵化期不同，D. silvarum 的生命周期持续时间差异很大。在野外条件下，幼虫（18 天）和若虫（29 天）的发育期与实验室条件下相似。此外，雌性饱血体重与产卵量之间存在高度显著的相关性（r=0.76，p<0.001）。3 月、4 月和 5 月的雌性生殖效率指数（REI）分别为 5.7、7.1 和 6.2。最后，我们还观察到在野外和实验室条件下饱血的雌性之间存在不同的产卵模式。
