The life cycle of the tick Hyalomma marginatum rufipes Koch (Acarina: Ixodidae) under laboratory conditions.

The life cycle of Hyalomma marginatum rufipes Koch was studied under laboratory conditions at 26 +/- 1 C. The preoviposition period was 7.1 +/- 0.23 days. The mean (+/- SE) number of eggs was 6,867 +/- 2,609 (max. 13,180, min. 3,184). The greatest egg production was recorded on day 3 (avg 1,170 egg/female). The incubation period was 29.3 +/- 2.96 days. The feeding time of larvae and nymphs of this 2-host tick was 22.8 +/- 0.13 days. Nymphs producing males weighed less (23.1 +/- 0.748 mg) than those producing females (26.8 +/- 1.19 mg); the combined larval-nymphal feeding time of the former was shorter (21.9 +/- 0.1 days) than that of the latter (22.9 +/- 1.12 days). The premolting period of nymphs to adults of both sexes was similar.