Observations on questing activity of adult Gulf Coast ticks, Amblyomma maculatum Koch (Acari: Ixodidae), in Mississippi, U.S.A.

Abstract

During August of 2008 and 2009, observations were made on the questing heights, behaviors, and spatial distribution of adult Gulf Coast ticks, Amblyomma maculatum, in a plot near Gautier, Jackson County, Mississippi, U.S.A. Ticks were not evenly distributed in the plot, being found mostly on torpedograss and/or wiregrass along and in a small dirt field road. Adult ticks were visually observed questing on three different plants: torpedograss, Panicum repens, wiregrass, Aristida stricta, and Johnsongrass, Sorghum halepense, all but the last of which have small-diameter stems and thin, pointed leaves. Ticks were located at or near the tips of the plants (2-tail binomial probability, p = 0.0074). Observed questing heights ranged from 20-75 cm, with an average of 36 cm. Nine of 15 ticks (60%) seen questing were oriented head upward, while 6 (40%) were headdown. Limited mark-release-recapture observations were made in the study site, using ticks collected from the field road. Of 27 ticks marked and released, 15 were recaptured in three samples spanning a 24-d period. Of these, 5 had moved closer to the dirt road where they were originally captured and 2 farther away.

Diversity and seasonality of host-seeking ticks in a periurban environment in the Central Midwest (USA)

“…Immature A . maculatum ticks are particularly difficult to collect using the flagging method we employed [ 41 , 42 ]. Nymphs and larva of I .…”

Differential diagnosis of three common Ixodes spp. ticks infesting songbirds of Western Europe: Ixodes arboricola, I. frontalis and I. ricinus

“…The collection of I. frontalis from understory vegetation, the pronounced questing behavior on leaf-like substrates (cf. I. brunneus (Goddard, 2013a); D. Heylen, unpublished data) and diurnal detachment from diurnally active birds (cf. I. ricinus ; D. Heylen, unpublished data) all suggest that this tick species tends to be exophilic (Filippova, 1977) rather than endophilic (Hillyard, 1996).…”

Olfactory responses of Amblyomma maculatum to rumen fluid and other odourants that attract blood‐seeking arthropods

“…Because of their proclivity for large mammals, it is difficult to collect sizable samples of adult A. maculatum in the field for studies involving distribution (Mitcham et al ., ), pathogen prevalence (Paddock et al ., ) and microbiome analysis (Budachetri et al ., ). The current field‐collection methods for adult A. maculatum are time consuming, laborious and usually result in low capture success rate (Goddard & Paddock ; Goddard et al ., ; Mays et al ., ; Pike ). Carbon dioxide traps, although highly successful for A. americanum (Linnaeus) (Ixodida: Ixodidae) (Koch ), have collected some A. maculatum in Oklahoma and Tennessee, although at much lower rates compared with those collected from area livestock (Semtner & Hair ; Mays et al ., ; Pike, ).…”