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Table 2 Results of experiment I in which calves were infested with crosses of adult ticks of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus strains from Australia (AUS) and Argentina (ARG).

From: Allopatric speciation in ticks: genetic and reproductive divergence between geographic strains of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus

Cross+

(male × female)

Engorged female weight (mg)*

Feeding period (days)*

No. engorged females that oviposited (%)

Egg mass weight (mg)*

EPE*

% egg hatching*

F1 fertility@

ARG × ARG

267.5 ± 38.1 a

21.5 ± 0.5&a

26 (100)

129.4 ± 28.4 a, e

48.6 ± 8.9

a

93.1 ± 20.5

a

Yes

AUS × AUS

196.8 ± 43.1 b

19.8 ± 0.4&b

52 (83.9)

69.7 ± 25.6 b

34.3 ± 11.2

b

82.5 ± 25.2

a

Yes

AUS × ARG

264.0 ± 57.2 a

8.7 ± 1.6#c

9 (90.0)

121.6 ± 55.5 c, e

43.8 ± 15.1

a, b

36.0 ± 39.6

b

No

ARG × AUS

172.9 ± 34.8 c

9.0 ± 1.5#c

24 (100)

83.3 ± 23.5 c, f

47.9 ± 8.2

a

0.3 ± 0.5

c

**

___ × ARG

50.3 ± 55.8 d

15.3 ± 3.8#b, d

2 (50)

24.5 ± 26.2 a, b, d, f

24.0 ± 12.2

a, b, c

0.5 ± 0.7

c

**

___ × AUS

61.3 ± 40.0 d

16. ± 2.9#d

15 (65.3)

11.8 ± 7.4 d

13.3 ± 6.5

c

0.1 ± 0.3

c

**

  1. +Each cross represented one independent infestation sleeve glued to the host dorsum.
  2. * Values presented as mean ± standard deviation.
  3. &Feeding period refers to days elapsed from larval infestation to detachment of engorged females.
  4. # Feeding period refers to days elapsed from adult infestation to detachment of engorged females.
  5. EPE: egg production efficiency (weight of egg mass/weight of the engorged female × 100).
  6. @ Larvae generated from each cross were infested in a separate sleeve on a calf; fertility of the resulting engorged females was evaluated (see Table 4).
  7. ** Cross produced zero or a very low number of F1 larvae to perform an infestation.
  8. Values followed by different letters in the same column are significantly different (P < 0.05).
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BMC Ecology and Evolution

ISSN: 2730-7182

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