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Seasonal changes in the fatty acid profile of the tick Ixodes ricinus (Acari, Ixodidae)

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Abstract

Fatty acids (FAs) from nymphs, females and males of Ixodes ricinus were analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Ticks were collected from May to October 2013. The most abundant FAs were 18:1, 18:0, 16:0 and 18:2 which are also dominant FAs of insects. Adults contained higher concentrations of FAs in general than nymphs because they contain more fat body and probably a thicker layer of epicuticular lipids. Larger quantities of FAs > 20 carbon atoms in the carboxylic chain were present in females, which generally show higher content of lipids essential for oogenesis, whereas there were similar amounts of 14–18 in both sexes. In September and October, ticks contained large concentrations of the majority of FAs except for 18:1, the most abundant one in ticks collected from May through August. Thus, most FAs, especially those with more than 20 C atoms, tend to increase at lower temperatures.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Young Researcher Grant Nos. 538-L114-B052-13, University of Gdańsk. The authors would like to thank Peter Senn for the English revision.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland

    Piotr Cuber & Aleksandra Urbanek

  2. Department of Molecular Evolution, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland

    Aleksandra Naczk

  3. Laboratory of Analysis of Natural Compounds, Department of Environmental Analysis, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland

    Piotr Stepnowski & Marek Gołębiowski

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  1. Piotr Cuber
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  2. Aleksandra Urbanek
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Correspondence to Aleksandra Urbanek.

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Cuber, P., Urbanek, A., Naczk, A. et al. Seasonal changes in the fatty acid profile of the tick Ixodes ricinus (Acari, Ixodidae). Exp Appl Acarol 69, 155–165 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-016-0031-8

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