Developmental Changes in Salivary Glands of Nymphs and Adults of the Spinose Ear Tick Otobius megnini

Abstract

Otobius megnini has an autogenous 1 host life cycle, where larvae and nymphs stay attached inside the ear canal for long periods, but the adult tick is free living and can lay several egg batches without feeding. In order to obtain information about anatomical structures involved in this particular life cycle, nymphs and adults of O. megnini were dissected and salivary gland images were obtained in situ with the use of scanning electronic microscopy. Measurements of salivary alveoli were obtained with the use of ImageJ 1.40g software. In the nymphs, the Type I alveoli are relatively small (mean diameter: 19.6 μm) compared with those of the adults (mean: 43.4 μm) and other soft ticks in the literature. Type II alveoli in nymphs are similar (mean: 82.6 μm) to previously described alveoli in adult soft ticks. In contrast, the adults of O. megnini Type II alveoli are smaller (mean: 36.8 μm) and have a wrinkled surface. These findings provide more evidence that Type I alveoli take part in absorption of moisture during the free-living tick stages.