A bioassay technique for the pheromone emitted by Amblyomma hebraeum males

Attachment of Amblyomma hebraeum females, either around feeding males or in areas in which extracts of fed males had previously been placed, was studied. The percentage attachment of female ticks around feeding males was significantly higher than that inside extract-treated areas. It was also found that the percentage attachment around the males increases with time, but there is little or no increase in attachment with time inside the treated areas. The amount of pheromone released by 1 feeding male was enough to stimulate attachment of females, although the rate of attachment accelerated as the number of males increased.