Hello,
just prepared a tick (Ixodes ricinus, adult male) for microscopy:
- keeping the tick f0r 24 h in Ethanol, 70%
- maceration for 24 h in 15% KOH
- 24 h in 80% Lactic acid for clearing and softening
- washed with water
- mounted in in Hoyers Gum
Hoyers Gum:
Aqua dest. (g): 3,3
Chloralhydrat (g): 13,3
Glycerin (g): 1,3
Gummi arabicum (g); 2
Chloralhydrat helps in clearing the dark chitin parts of the tick.
Stitch consisting of 3 parts, each part is a stack of 80 pictures combined with ZereneStacker, oblique illumination
Same tick after a ten minutes visit at Dr. GIMP :
A Tick
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- ralfwagner
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- Location: Germany, Duesseldorf
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A Tick
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Ralf
http://www.lichenes.de
http://www.dr-ralf-wagner.de
http://www.youtube.com/user/drralfwagner
Ralf
http://www.lichenes.de
http://www.dr-ralf-wagner.de
http://www.youtube.com/user/drralfwagner
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- Posts: 607
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Great job of clearing and mounting the tick. I usually use PVLG instead of Hoyers, since in the USA is it a bit difficult to obtain Chloral Hydrate (its considered a controlled substance). I had a large Dermocentor tick attach itself to my neck a few years ago (very painful, not subtle at all...). After I pried it out of my neck, the miserable parasite suffered a similar fate to yours; clearing in hydroxide, then phenol/lactic acid and then into PVLG. Also congratulations to Dr. Gimp, who has miraculously cured the injured leg .
David
David
- ralfwagner
- Posts: 441
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- Location: Germany, Duesseldorf
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Hello,
ticks are really strange, indeed.
Chloralhydrate is a controlled substance in Germany, too. But you can still buy it at your local pharmacist if you explain to him for what reason you want to use it.
ticks are really strange, indeed.
Chloralhydrate is a controlled substance in Germany, too. But you can still buy it at your local pharmacist if you explain to him for what reason you want to use it.
----------------------
Ralf
http://www.lichenes.de
http://www.dr-ralf-wagner.de
http://www.youtube.com/user/drralfwagner
Ralf
http://www.lichenes.de
http://www.dr-ralf-wagner.de
http://www.youtube.com/user/drralfwagner