Dietary modification of host blood lipids affect reproduction in the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum(L.).

The feeding and reproductive performance of female lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum (L.)) infesting guinea pigs on diets containing 15% fish oil (FO) or safflower oil (SO) were investigated. Replete ticks fed on FO-fed guinea pigs weighed approximately 30% less than those on the SO-fed guinea pigs. The lower engorged weight resulted in a similar decrease in the mass and number of eggs laid and number of larvae hatching. No effect of host dietary treatment was observed upon the reproductive efficiency index, egg weight, or hatchability. Guinea pig blood on the FO-diet contained high levels of eicosapentaenoic acid, which has previously been shown to inhibit the accumulation of arachidonic acid in the tick salivary gland. It is suggested that the ticks on the FO-fed guinea pigs have impaired production and secretion of dienoic prostaglandins in the saliva resulting in poorer feeding performance, possibly by altering the amount of host blood present in the feeding lesion.