The parasitic specificity of larval, nymph and adult Amblyomma
cajennense on six different host species: Oryctolagus cuniculus,
Rattus norvegicus, Gallus gallus domesticus, Anas platyrhynchus, Coturnix
coturnix and Streptopelia decorata is described. In terms of the
numbers of larvae and nymphs recovered, O. cuniculus was the best
host species. The modal day for drop-off of larvae and nymphs was day three
for the mammal hosts, but variable in the birds. We conclude that adult
A. cajennense have a strong degree of specificity due to the fact
that the tick failed to complete its life cycle on any of the evaluated
hosts. The immature stages, on the other hand, showed a low level of
specificity, most especially in the larval stage, indicating the existence
of secondary hosts which probably serve as dispersers in the wild. The
results also indicated a variable drop-off rhythm for larvae and nymphs in
two periods, diurnal (6-18 hr) and nocturnal (18-6 hr), which differed
depending upon the host.
