The seasonal abundance of Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann and H. flava Neumann (Acari: Ixodidae) was monitored from 2015 through 2017 in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. The hard ticks were surveyed monthly using CO2 bait traps from April to November and flagging from July to September in a coniferous forest, a deciduous forest, shrubs, and a grassland vegetation types. Haemaphysalis longicornis and H. flava were most abundant in the grassland and shrubs, which yielded over 50% of the total number of ticks in all 3 yr. Furthermore, H. longicornis comprised up to 90% of the ticks collected. Generally, peaks of nymph, adult, and larva numbers were observed from April to June, from June to July, and from August to September, respectively. Half of the ticks were pooled and tested for the presence of the SFTS virus with negative results.

The portable harmonic radar system can be an effective detection method in either landscape during both day and night. Furthermore, the fluorescent marking system can be a reliable tool at night as well. Lastly, combining both methods can improve the night detection. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

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BACKGROUND Although Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae) is an important disease vector, its small size restricts the tracking methods applicable. Recently, fluorescent marking as a conventional detection method for small arthropods has been improved by combining it with an ultraviolet laser. We examined the application potential of this new fluorescent marking system (FMS) for tracking H. longicornis by evaluating the effect of fluorescent marking on the ticks and detection efficacy. RESULTS Under laboratory conditions, fluorescent marking did not significantly affect the survivorship, movement patterns, and CO2 response of H. longicornis at all three developmental stages. Fluorescent‐marked individuals could be detected at distances ranging from 12 to 29 m under dark, increasing with the body size. Finally, in grassland, >90% of fluorescent‐marked individuals were retrieved at night regardless of developmental stage. However, the overall detection rate (<42%) was substantially reduced during the day. CONCLUSIOIN Our results show that FMS can reliably detect H. longicornis at night. Nevertheless, fluorescent‐marked individuals are not as conspicuous under sunlight when they are illuminated with ultraviolet lasers, limiting the use of FMS during the day. Therefore, the development of an alternative tracking method is warranted for an effective detection of ticks during the day. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

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