Applicability of three indices to evaluate the reproductive capacity of Rhipicephalus microplus engorged female ticks in acaricide efficacy trials

Macarena Sarli; Nicolás Morel; Santiago Nava

doi:10.1016/j.exppara.2023.108640

Applicability of three indices to evaluate the reproductive capacity of Rhipicephalus microplus engorged female ticks in acaricide efficacy trials

Exp Parasitol. 2023 Oct 28:108640. doi: 10.1016/j.exppara.2023.108640. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Macarena Sarli¹, Nicolás Morel², Santiago Nava²

Affiliations

¹ Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IdICaL) (INTA-CONICET), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela (INTA E.E.A. Rafaela), Ruta 34 Km 227, CP 2300, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina. Electronic address: sarli.macarena@inta.gob.ar.
² Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IdICaL) (INTA-CONICET), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela (INTA E.E.A. Rafaela), Ruta 34 Km 227, CP 2300, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina.

PMID: 39492478
DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2023.108640

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the applicability of three different indices to evaluate the reproductive capacity of engorged females (RCEF). The indices, RCEF₁, RCEF₂ and RCEF₃, were proposed as alternative to the count of the exact number of unhatched eggs and larvae in in vivo and in vitro acaricide efficacy trials that involve the use of engorged females to estimate the effect of a drug on their reproductive capacity. A comparison of the values of the reproductive efficiency index (REI) and the fertility efficiency index (FEI) of ten engorged females calculated from the count of the exact number of unhatched eggs and larvae and from the application of the proposed indices was performed. The absence of differences in the values obtained by both methods support the reliability and validate the use of the RCEF₁, RCEF₂ and RCEF₃ indices to assess the RCEF.

Keywords: Acaricide efficacy; Engorged females; Indices; Reproductive capacity; Rhipicephalus microplus.