ATTRACT OR REPEL Amblyomma sculptum TICKS: SCREENING OF SEMIOCHEMICALS

Publication date: Available online 21 January 2020Source: Veterinary ParasitologyAuthor(s): Lorena Lopes Ferreira, Jaires Gomes de Oliveira Filho, Fernanda de Oliveira Silva, Ana Livia Lacerda Ferraz, Gabriel Moura MascarinAbstractAmblyomma sculptum is a tick of medical-veterinary importance. Areas with high infestations need to be monitored, and parasitized hosts treated accordingly. Carbon dioxide (CO2) traps and acaricides are commonly deployed as control measures, although with some disadvantages such as high costs, challenging logistics and vertebrate intoxication. Semiochemicals have the potential to improve tick attraction to tick traps and monitoring devices and alleviate the burden of A. sculptum infestations. Four concentrations (10, 5, 2.5 and 1.25%) of 13 semiochemical candidates (CO2 only at 5% as the standard, benzaldehyde, benzoic acid, salicylic acid, 2,6 diclorophenol, R-limonene, S-limonene, methyl salicylate, 1-octen-3-ol, acetone, ammonium hydroxide, isobutyric acid and lactic acid) were tested on unfed A. sculptum nymphs and adults using a Y-tube olfactometer to evaluated repellence and attraction behaviors. All stages tested were attracted to CO2, whereas nymphs were repelled by benzaldehyde and R-limonene, both at 10%, and isobutyric acid at 10 and 5%. Nymphs were attracted by methyl salicylate, benzoic acid and salicylic acid, all at 1.25%, and ammonium hydroxide at 2.5%. Males were attracted by benzoic acid at 2.5%, while females were repelled by benz...
Source: Veterinary Parasitology - Category: Veterinary Research Source Type: research