Artificial Feeding of and (Acari: Argasidae) and Investigation of the Transstadial Perpetuation of .

is a Gram-negative, obligate intraerythrocytic bacterium that causes bovine anaplasmosis. While hard ticks of the genera and can be biological vectors, transmitting this pathogen via saliva during blood meals, blood-sucking insects, and fomites play a role as mechanical vectors. Little is known about the interaction between and Argasidae ticks. Among soft ticks, (Labruna and Venzal) and Aragão inhabit environments surrounding localities where many cases of bovine anaplasmosis have been reported. Ticks of the species parasitize bats, while can parasitize different vertebrate species. Therefore, the present study aimed to feed third-instar nymphs artificially (N3) of and using blood samples obtained from a calf naturally infected with and rabbit blood added to containing bovine erythrocytes, to investigate the ability of these nymphs to acquire, infect and transstadially perpetuate this agent. For the artificial feeding system, adapted chambers and parafilm membranes were used. Nymphs of both tick species were submitted to different replications weighed before and after each feeding. Blood samples and molted ticks were submitted to DNA extraction, quantitative real-time PCR for the β gene to detect DNA, while a semi-nested polymerase chain reaction for the α gene was performed for genotyping. Using calf blood naturally infected with , among the three artificial feeding replications performed with and nymphs, the DNA of was detected in both nymphs after 30-50 days of molting. For artificial feeding with rabbit blood added to bovine erythrocytes containing , the DNA of this pathogen was also detected in both nymph species. As for the assay for the 1α gene, strains were found Is9; 78 24-2; 25; 23; α; and β. It was concluded that nymphs (N3) of and could feed artificially through a parafilm membrane using blood from calves and rabbits infected by . The DNA of was detected in nymphs fed artificially of both tick species studied after molt. However, further studies are needed to confirm transstadial perpetuation in other instars and their host transmission capacity.