Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Adults: Mouse deer, crested porcupine, monkey, small mammals, Gallinaceous
and other bird species, crow pheasant, buffalo, dog, and from flag dragging through
forest vegetation.
Distribution
1,12,93,113,127,143
India (Andaman and Nicobar islands, Karnataka, Orissa, Assam, West Bengal),
Sumatra, Siam, Borneo, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia,
Vietnam, Myitkyina, East Indies (Southeast Asian islands), Siam, New Guinea.
Life History
12
Biology of this species has been reported by Bhat and George in 1977. The life cycle
of the species could be completed under ambient temperature (RH 90
100% and at
27
C) within 98 days when all the stages were fed immediately after they
started questing. The maximum life span of unfed adults was 308 days. They could
attach within 24 h after release on the host (chick) and feed at any time during their
lifetime from a few days after hatching. Copulating pairs were observed after the
fourth day of release. Replete females dropped between the fifth and fifteenth day
from 8 to 12 h. Two rather arbitrarily defined phases of repletion in females could
be observed. The first “preparatory phase” lasted until the last but one day of para-
sitic phase. During this phase the rate of increase in size was very slow. The ticks
changed their color from original dark brown to cream. Copulation was generally
observed at the end of this phase. The second “repletion phase,” which terminated
with detachment, was of short duration lasting for 12
17
18 h. The average amount of
blood imbibed by the females was approximately 3.35 times that of their average
unengorged weight (0
98 mg). The fully repleted females weighed 175
454 mg.
Oviposition commenced 4
24 days.
The loss in weight after oviposition ranged from 68% to 84%. Of this, 50
7 days after the dropping and lasted for 13
70%
accounted for the weight of the egg mass. The total number of eggs laid by the fully
engorged females ranged from 2,104 to 5,853 (average 4,508 eggs). The number of
eggs laid by each individual was directly proportional to its fed weight. The spent
females died within 19 days after the completion of oviposition. Hatching of broods
commenced 26
35 days after the initiation of oviposition and continued for as
many days as the duration of oviposition. The maximum longevity of unfed larvae
was 118 days. As adults, they could attach themselves and feed at any time during
their lifetime within a few days after hatching. The larvae stayed on the chicks in the
“preparatory phase” for at least 30 h before passing on to the “repletion phase,”
which lasted for not more than 10 h. Larvae, which did not pass on to the repletion
phase in the later part of the second night were carried on to the subsequent night for
repletion, followed by dropping in the following days. Most of the engorged larvae
dropped from 08 to 18 h. Engorged larvae molted into nymphs 16
20 days after
dropping. The maximum longevity of unengorged nymphs was 146 days. During
their parasitic phase they followed a sequence of events similar to that of the larvae.
Engorged nymphs molted into adults 24
31 days after dropping (
Table 2.7
).
