Characterization of dog repellent factor from cuticular secretion of female yellow dog tick, Haemaphysalis leachi
Date
2006
Authors
Burger B.V.
Marx B.
Le Roux M.
Oelofsen B.W.
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Abstract
During its natural life cycle, the yellow dog tick, Haemaphysalis leachi, has three hosts, and it has to spend enough time on each of them to complete a blood meal. When irritated, the females of this tick species produce a cuticular secretion that contains a dog-repelling allomone. This improves the tick's chances of survival by deterring the dog from biting the tick off its body. Employing response-guided isolation techniques in conjunction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the defensive allomone of H. leachi was found to consist of the six homologous aliphatic aldehydes from hexanal to undecanal. A mixture of synthetic versions of these six aldehydes in quantities corresponding to those secreted by one tick elicited strong aversion reactions in the majority of dogs of various breeds. © 2006 Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.
Description
Keywords
insect repellent, chemical defense, animal, article, chemistry, female, mass fragmentography, tick, Animals, Female, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Insect Repellents, Ticks, Acari, Canis familiaris, Haemaphysalis leachi
Citation
Journal of Chemical Ecology
32
1
32
1