Bull C M, Burzacott D
School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
Exp Appl Acarol. 1994 Sep;18(9):555-65. doi: 10.1007/BF00058938.
In South Australia the two tick species Amblyomma limbatum and Aponomma hydrosauri share the same common reptile host species, but have allopatric distributions which abut along a narrow parapatric boundary. Reproductive interference is a mechanism that has previously been suggested could contribute to maintaining the boundary. Populations of each species were established in pens within the range of Aponomma hydrosauri. Pens held either each species alone, or the two species together. The performance of females in those pens was monitored over 28 months. There was no indication that the proportion of attached females which mated and engorged was reduced by the presence of heterospecifics. There was no indication that the time taken to mate, engorge and detach was any longer in the presence of heterospecifics. The experiment did not support the hypothesis that reproductive interference contributes to maintaining the parapatric boundary. However, Amblyomma limbatum in the pens had a shorter season of reproductive activity, and achieved much smaller numbers of reproductive females. This may inhibit successful colonization of cooler habitats to the south of its distribution.
在南澳大利亚，两种蜱虫，即缘饰花蜱（Amblyomma limbatum）和水龙花蜱（Aponomma hydrosauri）共享相同的常见爬行类宿主物种，但它们具有异域分布，沿着一条狭窄的邻域边界相邻。生殖干扰是一种先前被认为可能有助于维持该边界的机制。在水龙花蜱的分布范围内，将每个物种的种群放置在围栏中。围栏中要么单独放置每个物种，要么将两个物种一起放置。在28个月内监测这些围栏中雌性蜱虫的表现。没有迹象表明异种种群的存在会降低附着的已交配且饱血的雌性蜱虫的比例。没有迹象表明在存在异种种群的情况下，交配、饱血和脱离所花费的时间会更长。该实验不支持生殖干扰有助于维持邻域边界这一假设。然而，围栏中的缘饰花蜱的繁殖活动季节较短，繁殖雌性的数量也少得多。这可能会抑制其分布范围以南较凉爽栖息地的成功定殖。
