Primary Culture of Developing Adult Tissue in a Nymphal Tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis(Acarina : Ixodidae)

Primary cultures of the developing adult tissues in nymphs of Haemaphysalis longicornis were described. All cultures were incubated at 25°C in Leibovitz L-15 medium, pH 7.0, supplemented with 10% trytpose phosphate broth and 10% fetal bovine serum. The migrated cells from explants were of mostly fibroblast-like, epitherial-like or freely suspended type. They started to migrate within 24 hr after the culture was set up and formed cell networks by 30 days later. The cultures could be maintained for about 100 days. Subculturings of migrated cells, however, were unsuccessful and the cells began to degenerate resulting in remarkable reduction of their numbers after about 1 month.