Wednesday, 17 November 2004
D0568

Vertebrate integumentary chemicals: endogenously produced and acquired chemicals used to deter arthropods

John F. Carroll, JCarroll@anri.barc.usda.gov, ARS, USDA, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Building 1040, BARC East, Beltsville, MD, Paul J. Weldon, Wildlife Conservation Society, Science Resource Center, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY, and Matthew Kramer, USDA ARS, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, 10300 Baltimore Ave, Beltsville, MD.

Ectoparasitic arthropods may be deterred from feeding on certain vertebrates by substances endogenously produced in the skin, pelage or plumage. Deterrent chemicals may also be acquired by vertebrates by rubbing against exogenous sources, i.e. anointing. Monkeys and birds rub themselves with millipedes that defensively discharge benzoquinones. Laboratory bioassays showed that three benzoquinones in millipede secretions deterred ticks by repellency, toxicity and behavior alteration.


Species 1: Acari Ixodidae Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick)
Keywords: anointing, benzoquinones

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