2013/10/30 by D. Richter, Franz‐Rainer Matuschka, Andrew Spielman +1 · 2 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Insect and Pesticide Research #Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior #Plant Virus Research Studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.1098/rspb.2013.1758
openalex publication_date 2013/10/30 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The tick Ixodes ricinus uses its mouthparts to penetrate the skin of its host and to remain attached for about a week, during which time Lyme disease spirochaetes may pass from the tick to the host. To understand how the tick achieves both tasks, penetration and attachment, with the same set of implements, we recorded the insertion events by cinematography, interpreted the mouthparts' function by scanning electron microscopy and identified their points of articulation by confocal microscopy. Our structural dynamic observations suggest that the process of insertion and attachment occurs via a ratchet-like mechanism with two distinct stages. Initially, the two telescoping chelicerae pierce the skin and, by moving alternately, generate a toehold. Subsequently, a breaststroke-like motion, effected by simultaneous flexure and retraction of both chelicerae, pulls in the barbed hypostome. This combination of a flexible, dynamic mechanical ratchet and a static holdfast thus allows the tick to solve the problem of how to penetrate skin and also remain stuck for long periods of time.