The sialotranscriptome of Antricola delacruzi female ticks is compatible with non-hematophagous behavior and an alternative source of food

► A transcriptome of salivary glands of female Antricola delacruzi, exclusively a tick of bats, was analyzed. ► Hematophagy is the norm in female ticks, but only larvae of Antricola sp. feed on tissues of their hosts. ► The source of food for egg production by the female, which is found on nutrient-rich bat guano, is not known. ► The sialotranscriptome of A. delacruzi does not contain the molecular signatures of hematophagy usually found in female ticks. ► The molecular signatures of the sialotranscriptome of A. delacruzi are compatible with guanophagy.