Reprodução, desenvolvimento e hábitos de Chelopistes meleagridis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) em laboratório

Abstract

Bionomics of the large louse turkey Chelopistes meleagridis off host was evaluated to comprehend aspects related to life cycle. To this, adults was collected and put in controlled conditions for reproduce, offered feathers as food. From offspring of these adults were observed the development of 150 lice from eggs to adults. To 75 of them was given only feathers as resource of food while to others 75 lice the diet was composed by feathers and skin debris from the natural host, Meleagris gallopavo. When verified that diet composed by feather + skin resulted in more adults, was evaluated fertility, fecundity and longevity of this specie reared in vitro from first nymphs to adults feed with this diet. High values related to reproduction of this specie were found in comparison with others avian Ischnocera, like: number of eggs produced by day and number of egg produced during the lifespan of females (means of 2.54 and 26.61, respectively to wild females and 2.11 and 29.33 respectively to females reared in vitro). The addition of skin in diet was determinant to development to adult stage, once time 48% fed with this diet reared to adults while the lice feed with feathers only 1.3 % of then became adult stage. The time of development of males and females was the same (29 days). The sex rate of adults reared in vitro was 1:1.