Morfología de Amblyomma tigrinum (Arthropoda: Ixodidae) por microscopía electrónica de barrido

Abstract

The aim of this work was to report the finding of capybara (Hydrochoer us hydrochaeris) infested by Amblyomma tigrinum Koch, 1844 (Arthropoda: Ixodidae), and to describe some external morphological features of the ticks through images obtained by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The study was carried in a hatchery from Corrientes (Argentina). Twenty adult animals were examined and ticks from infested areas were taken for its later systematic classification. The acari were located mainly on the internal face of thigh. Male specimens showed an oval large body, showing in the coxa I one external large and acute spur that covered partially coxa II. Coxae II to III had one short and obtuse spur, and the coxa V one large spine that almost reached the nefrostomal level. Females showed similar coxae than males, excepting for the IV pair where spurs were the same length than the others. According to Boero (1957) and Jones et al. (1972) classification keys for external morphology, all the ticks were identified as A. tigrinum. The finding of this tick in H. hydrochaeris and its external morphological description by means of SEM, are presented.