[Development of the filaria Monanema martini in the epidermis of ixodid ticks].

Morphological and histological analysis of the larval development of Monanema martini, a filaria with skin dwelling microfilariae. The vectors are the hexapod larvae of Rhipicephalus sanguineus, R. turanicus and H. truncatum; the filarial infective stages appear during the larval-nymph moult of the vector (11 days at 26 degrees C). This species, and in our opinion the other species of Monanema, have a complete development in the epidermis of the ticks. Hard-ticks (Ixodidae) appear to be the main vectors of filariae with skin-dwelling microfilariae belonging to Dipetalonema evolutionary line: Yatesia, Cherylia, Cercopithifiliaria, Monanema.