Biological Sciences 318- Parasitology Lab Arthropod Vectors

1. Biological Sciences 318- Parasitology Lab Arthropod Vectors

2. Kingdom: Animalia • Subkingdom: Eumetazoa • (unranked): Spiralia • (unranked): Eucoelomata • (unranked): Protostomia • Superphylum: Ecdysozoa • Phylum: • Subphylum:

3. Arthropods Characteristics: 1) highly successful (⅔ of all known organisms are Arthropods) 2) segmented Eucoelomata with exoskeleton (Arthropod Metamerism) 2) Tagmata/Tagmatization (segments grouped into body regions) 3) Molting, Ecdysis (Ecdysozoa) 4) Hemimetabolous (gradual) / holometabolous (complete) 5) Cephalization (highly developed sensory organs) 6) Open circulatory system (hemolymph / hemocoel) 7) Respiratory system (trachea / book lungs) 8)Malpighian tubules / Coxal glands 9) Involved in virtually every kind of parasitic relationship • definitive and intermediate hosts for protozoans, flatworms, nematodes, arthropods • function as vectors (blood-feeding / need for protein for development)

4. Class Arachnida: • Prosoma (Cephalothroax) – Opisthosoma (Abdomen) • Subclass Acari: Capitulum (head) – Idiosoma • transmit a large number of disease agents (viruses, rickettsia, apicomplexa, • nemotodes) • Ticks are pool feeders (once attached to the host, the tick will inject saliva into the wound, which liquidizes the tissues and allows them to suck up the fluid) • Ticks sense CO2, warmth and movement from animals • Ticks are divided into two families: Ixodidae (hard ticks) and Argasidae (soft ticks).

5. outnumber all other known animals put together (almost 1million species described) • Head – Thorax – Abdomen • eyes, antennae, sucking , chewing mouthparts, 2 pairs of wings, 3 pairs of legs • can vector many diseases (mechanical / biological) • Blood-feeding (need for protein), Flexibility in development, Response to host presence • +/- low host specificity, can live near or in human dwellings…

7. Learning Objectives • 1. Know general characteristics • Know differences between Insecta + Arachnida!!! • What character(s) of some arthropods allows them to be effective vectors? • 2. Class Insecta • General characteristics + anatomy • 3. Oder Diptera • Tsetse fly: Glossina • Visual id + know parasite and disease association • 4. Family Culicidae - Mosquitoes • Parasite and disease association • Life cycle • How can they find their hosts? • Behavioral characteristics that allow them to be effective vectors • 5. Family Psychodidae – Sand flies • Parasite and disease association • Visual id • 6. Family Simuliidae – Black flies • Habitat • Visual id • Characteristics that make them good vectors • Parasite and disease association • 7. Family Tabanidae – Horse flies • Visual id • Parasite and disease association • 8. Order Hemiptera • Know general characteristics • mouthparts • 9. Rhodnius prolixus • Lifecycle • What habits allows them to be effective vectors? • Why might these habits affect transmission in lower income areas? • How do they find their host? • 10. Family Cimicidae - Bed bugs • Why might these insects be good vectors? • Are they vectors? • 11. Order Siphonaptera – Fleas • Know they are parasites themselves • Life cycle, host, how do they find their host • What makes them good vectors? • Xenopsylla male and female: visual id • Parasite and disease association • Transmission • Plague cycle • 12. Order Mallophaga – Lice • Parasites themselves • How do they attach to host? • Life cycle • Chewing vs. sucking lice • Visual id Pedicularis humanus + Phthirus pubis • Parasite and disease associations • Typhus! • 13. Class Arachnida • Know general characteristics • Know general characteristics of ticks: families, feeding… • 14. Order Ixodidae - Ticks • Life cycle • 1,2,3 – host life cycles • Development • No Rhipicephalus – so know parasite and disease associations etc. • 15. Ixodes scapularis • Visual id • 3 host life cycle • Parasite and disease association • 16. Dermacentor andersoni • 3 host tick • Disease and parasite association • Habits • Hosts