The impact of microclimate and density of hosts for adult ticks on the density of Ixodes scapularis Say was evaluated within 4 habitats on Long Point, Ontario, from 1989-1992. During the period from May to September, mean weekly vapor pressure deficits were greater within the oak savannah and cottonwood dune habitats than at the maple forest and white pine habitats, which were similar. Vapor pressure deficit was likely the major factor affecting the survivorship of eggs and immature tricks in these habitats. Based on drag sampling, I. scapularis adults demonstrated peak activity in April and October of each year. The mean number of I. scapularis adults collected by dragging during the fall or in the spring did not differ significantly within each habitat. The mean number of adults collected also did not differ among tick cohorts within each habitat; however, significantly more adults were collected within the maple forest than in the white pine habitat. The mean number of I. scapularis adults per white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmerman), increased from 1989 to 1991 and then decreased in 1992. Significantly more adult I. scapularis infested deer were observed in 1990 than in 1989. Removal of deer in 1989 and 1990 resulted in a calculated decrease of > 100,000 fed female ticks. Although seasonal variation in microclimate within habitats was closely linked with tick survival and partly explains the differences in abundance of I. scapularis among habitats on Long Point, habitat utilization by deer was also a primary factor governing the local abundance of I. scapularis populations.
Ixodes scapularis Say populations were evaluated within 4 habitats on Long Point, Ontario, from 1990 to 1992 to ascertain whether differences in density of mouse populations within and among habitats were correlated with that of immature I. scapularis populations. I. scapularis immatures were rarely collected by dragging within the cottonwood dune habitat. Significantly more larvae (P < or = 0.05) were collected by drag sampling within the maple forest habitat than in the oak savannah or white pine habitats for the 1989, 1990, and 1991 cohorts, whereas the size of the 1992 larval cohort did not differ significantly among these habitats. Significantly more nymphs were collected by dragging within the maple forest than in the other 2 habitats for all 4 cohorts. Nymphs from the 1989 and 1990 cohort were more abundant within the oak savannah than the white pine habitat, whereas the 1991 and 1992 cohorts were similar. With few exceptions, I. scapularis immatures were most prevalent on white-footed mice, Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque), captured within the maple forest > oak savannah > white pine > cottonwood dune, although differences were not significant in all years and in all habitats. The number of mice captured within the 4 habitats was not correlated with the number of I. scapularis larvae or nymphs infesting them. Likewise, the minimum number of mice alive was not significantly correlated with conversion indices of larvae to nymphs or nymphs to adults. Lack of association between mouse availability and relative size of subsequent cohorts of host-seeking ticks suggests that factors other than the size of the mouse populations were responsible for the observed differences in tick abundance among habitats.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.