ELISA

ELISA

Colorimetric Detection

Arthropods Enormously diverse phylum Many parasitic arthropods serve as hosts for a number of parasites (hyperparasitism) from cestodes to viruses We focus on the crustaceans, insects, and arachnida Chitinous cuticle that serve as an exoskeleton Sexes are separate and typically sexual dimorphism is present Development: egg  larval or nymphal development adult Larval: stage where major morphological changes occur and nymph refers to stages where sizes change between molts Taxonomy is constantly changing

Important Arthropods Domain: Eukarya Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Phthiraptera Suborder: Anuplura Family: Pthiridae Genus and species: Phthirus pubis

Phthirus pubis “Crab Lice” Pubic lice is more common in teenagers Often spread through sexual contact 1.1-1.8 mm Exclusively consume blood Round body and the back pairs of legs are much thicker than the front legs

Pediculus humanus Pediculus humanus humanus (corporis): Body louse (typhus and trench fever) Pediculus humanus capitis: Head lice These sucking lice are ectoparasite of mammals and possess a small fused throax and five segmented antennae. They have specialized mouth parts for penetrating the skin Compound eyes, the mouthparts and the antennae. The thorax bears three pairs of legs and each terminates in a claw

Head Lice

Sarcoptes scabiei Kingdom-Animalia Phylum-Arthropoda Class-Arachnida Subclass-Acari Family-Sarcoptidae Genus and Species- Sarcoptes scabiei, variation hominis

Sarcoptes scabiei Burrows into your skin and causes scabies. Gravid females cause the most misery as they burrow just below the surface of the skin laying eggs as they proceed. These tunnels then ooze serum which hardens into scabs The mites move underneath your skin and cause intense itching (direct life cycle) Relatively small < 1mm Covered in long hairs.

Sarcoptes scabiei

Dermacenter andersoni Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Arachnida Subclass: Acari Superorder: Parasitiformes Order: Ixodida Family: Ixodidae Genus: Dermacentor Species: D. andersoni Diagnostic features: Larva only has 3 pairs of legs. Nymph has 4 pairs. Single pair of spiracular openings (stigmata) close to the coxae (leg bases or segments) of the 4th pair of legs (except in larvae) Terminal capitulum (mouthparts) visible from above in all stages except the egg. It looks similar to Ixodes (which caues lymes disease)

Dermacenter andersoni Transmits Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Rocky Mountain wood tick

Argulus spp. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Crustacea Class: Maxillopoda Subclass: Branchiura Order: Arguloida Family: Argulidae Genus: Argulus Species: A. foliaceus

Argulus spp. “Fish Lice” Marine, Freshwater, and brackish One of the most widespread ectoparasites of fish True compound eyes, a sucking proboscis, modified maxillae that form a pair of sucking cups The proboscis is then buried in thee skin of the fish to extract blood Life cycle: Males and females swim freely and the females need to leave their hosts to lay eggs. Development from the nauplius to the metanauplius to the copepodid occurs within the egg. Copepodids then hatch from the eggs and search for a host

Culicoides “biting midges” African horse sickness Bovine ephemeral fever Onchcerca gibsoni Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Diptera Family: Ceratopogonidae Subfamily: Ceratopogoninae Tribe: Culicoidini Genus: Culicoides

…..the Botfly….. Dermatobia hominis Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Diptera Section: Schizophora Subsection: Calyptratae Superfamily: Oestroidea Family: Oestridae

Cimex lectularius Bed bugs Skin rashes and can cause psychological effects May cause serve allergies