Biological Cycle of Argas (persicargas) keiransi Fed on Hen's Blood Under Laboratory Conditions

Abstract

A. keiransi Estrada-Peña, Venzal & González-Acuña (Acari: Argasidae) be - long to the subgenus Persicargas, which includes soft bodied ticks distributed worldwide and commonly found parasitizing birds (Klompen, 1992). Argas (Per si cargas) keiransi was described from engorged larvae of the Chimango Cara cara (Milvago chimango chimango Vieillot (Aves: Falconiformes: Falconi - dae: Caracarinae)) from Chillán (Bío Bío Region), Chile (Estrada-Peña et al. 2003). Females of A. keiransi were later described by Estrada-Peña et al. (2006), also based on specimens from Chillán. The objective of this study was to describe the biological cycle of A. keiransi under laboratory conditions and compare it with related species.