A proposed description of the natural life cycle of Amblyomma brasiliense (Acari: Ixodidae) in a primary Atlantic rainforest environment in Brazil

Abstract The life cycles, under experimental conditions, of many neotropical ticks including Amblyomma brasiliense Aragao have been elucidated, however relatively little information is available with reference to their life cycles under natural conditions. The present study sought to investigate the natural life cycle of A. brasiliense, an aggressive human biting tick, within the Itatiaia National Park (INP), Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. A total of 245 ticks, collected from wild birds, peccaries (Tayassu pecari) and humans or recovered free-living on forest trails, were included in the analyses. All ticks were identified as A. brasiliense using a combination of morphological and molecular techniques (polymerase chain reaction and nucleotide sequencing). The parasitological data produced in this investigation, were combined with findings from previous studies to elaborate a proposed, natural life cycle for A. brasiliense in the INP, a preserved Atlantic rainforest habitat. It is suggested that, T. pecari ...