Alimentação artificial de fêmeas parcialmente ingurgitadas de Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini, 1887) (Acari: Ixodidae) por meio de tubos capilares

Abstract

Artificial feeding is an important tool, as an option to minimize the use of animals in scientific experiments, providing study of the transmission of bioagentes in the absence of vertebrate host. The objectives of this study were artificially food through capillary tubes females partially engorged of the tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus previously fed on cattle and to check the influence of the technique in the biological aspects of non-parasitic phase this species. Females weighing between 40,6 and 69,7 milligrams were separated into four groups of homogeneous weight, with 10 females in each and set on trays of styrofoam with double-sided tape. For artificial feeding tubes of microhematocrit containing blood citrated cattle were placed on the apparatus mouthpiece of ticks. The groups were fed by six, 12, 24, 36 hours, being kept under temperature of 27 ± 1 ° C and humidity above 80%. After artificial feeding, the ticks were weighed to verify the ingestion of blood. To monitoring the biological aspects, the ticks were set in Petri dishes, and kept in the same controled temperature and humidity, describe above. The control group was formed by engorged females from cattle, being kept in the same conditions of temperature and humidity of the groups artificially fed. For statistical analysis was used variance analysis and Tukey's test with a significance level of 5%, for comparisons of means. The average weights acquired in milligrams were 12.33 ± 15.17; 33.41 ± 21.27; 67.53 ± 27.57; 79.47 ± 45.53 in groups 6, 12, 24, 36 hours, respectively. The two groups exposed for less time to capillaries, showed statistical difference compared with the gain average of weight of the group of 36 hours. From 24 hours of feeding was observed significant difference between the biological aspects of the groups artificially fed, except for the posture period. Although the females artificially fed through capillary tubes have not reached full engorgiment, the findings show that the technique did not presented deleterious effect on the biological aspects of this species.