Preliminary investigations on transmission and life cycle of the ear mites of the genus Raillietia trouessart (Acari: Gamasida) parasites of cattle

The life cycle of ear mites of the genus Raillietia Trouessart consists of egg, larva, proto-and deutonymph and adult. The proto-and deutonymph are free living, non feeding instars. The teneral adult is the transfer stage. The minimum period required for completion of the life cycle is approximately eight days

Avaliação de uma técnica in vivo para medir a infestação por ácaros do gênero Raillietia Trouessart (Acari) em bovinos / Evaluation of an ear flushing technique as an in vivo measure of infestation of ear mites of the genus Raillietia Trouessart (Acari) in cattle

In vivo flushing of the ear canals with 50 to 100 ml collected all larvae in 100% of infested cattle. All adult mites were collected from 22 ou 27 parasitized ears (81.5%). Both stages adult and larva were collected from 18 out 22 parasitized ears (82%). The technique is adequate as a measure of prevalence, incidence, density/intensity of infestation as well as in vivo diagnosis. No damage to the host ear has been noticed.