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Hyalomma asiaticum is considered as the vector tick species which can carry and transmit Theileria annulata, Anaplasma marginale and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus to humans and animals, causing a great risk to animal husbandry and posing a threat to public health as well as economic losses. In the present study, we investigated the morphology and changes of the male reproductive system for this species at different developmental stages.

Ticks are vector pests and their biology and control are of worldwide concern. Microbiota play an important role in tick physiology, and antibiotic treatments are mostly used to explore the interactions between ticks and symbiotic microorganisms. In addition to altering the host microbial community, antibiotics also exhibit toxic effects on the host. In the tick Haemaphysalis longicornis, the engorged female ticks showed reproductive disruption after microinjection of tetracycline, as evidenced by prolonged oviposition time, reduced reproductive efficiency and hatchability, and abnormal oocyte development.

Abiotic stress is an important factor that can influence the survival and development of ticks. DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification that has been implicated in the adaptation of plants and insects to abiotic stress, but its role in the response of ticks to abiotic stress remains unclear. Herein, we explore the DNA methylation profile of the tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis exposed to low-temperature stress using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS).

Haemaphysalis longicornis is one of the most important tick species distributed globally. It transmits various pathogens that cause great damage to human health, livestock production, and wild animals. Knowledge of the character of transferrin (Tsf) in insects has grown rapidly during the last decades. However, Tsf in ticks is still poorly understood. Here, we identified for the first time a new iron metabolism-related gene, namely, Tsf, in ticks. The open reading frame (ORF) of the Tsf gene in H. longicornis contained 2,412 bp, which encoded a protein of 803 amino acids.