Effects of antibiotic treatment on the fecundity of Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides ticks.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Endosymbiotic bacteria inhabit a variety of arthropods including ticks and may have multiple effects on the host's survival, reproduction or pathogen acquisition and transmission. Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides is one of the most widely distributed tick species in China. The symbiotic bacteria composition and their impacts to R. haemaphysaloides ticks have not been studied. The present study investigated the composition of microbial community in R. haemaphysaloides ticks and then assessed the effects of endosymbionts on the host's fecundity by antibiotic treatment experiments.

Methods

The microbial population of female and male R. haemaphysaloides ticks was analyzed using Illumina Miseq sequencing of 16S rRNA gene. Thirty engorged female ticks were then randomly d

SUBMITTER: Li LH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5899350 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature