Biology and Colonization of the Winter Tick in the Laboratory1

Abstract

Stanchioned bovines were infested with larvae of Dermacentor albipictus (Packard), and the engorged females of this 1-host species were collected 22–36 days post infestation. The average yield of engorged females obtained from larvae was 9%. Thereafter, these engorged females (avg weight 0.420 g, range 0.341–0.547 g), were held at 27°C and 80% RH, and the eggs laid each day were removed and counted or weighed. The preoviposition period averaged 11.3 days, the oviposition period was 16–33 days, and the average number of eggs laid was 3864 (range 2942–4914). With these females and other females not disturbed daily, there was a statistically significant correlation (r = +0.92, 0.93, respectively) between weight of female and number of eggs laid. Average incubation period was 25.7 days (range 24–27 days).