Ecological investigations of the american dog tick,Dermacentor variabilis(say), in northwest Ohio (Acari: Ixodidae)

Seasonal activity and spatial distribution of host‐seeking adults of the tickDermacentor variabilis

“…Host‐seeking activity of D. variabilis adults in central Kentucky, as measured using drag sampling, was similar to that reported by others from throughout this species' geographical range (Sonenshine & Stout, 1971; Campbell, 1979; McEnroe, 1979a, b; Conlon & Rockett, 1982; Newhouse, 1983; Carroll & Nichols, 1986). Activity began very predictably during either the first or second week of April, which is a week or two earlier than what occurs at the higher latitude of Ohio (Conlon & Rockett, 1982) and a week or two later than what occurs at the lower latitude of Georgia (Newhouse, 1983). Termination of host‐seeking activity was more variable, ending in early August during two years and late August during one year; activity similar to D. variabilis in Georgia (Newhouse, 1983) but not in Ohio, where ticks were active into September (Conlon & Rockett, 1982).…”

“…Activity began very predictably during either the first or second week of April, which is a week or two earlier than what occurs at the higher latitude of Ohio (Conlon & Rockett, 1982) and a week or two later than what occurs at the lower latitude of Georgia (Newhouse, 1983). Termination of host‐seeking activity was more variable, ending in early August during two years and late August during one year; activity similar to D. variabilis in Georgia (Newhouse, 1983) but not in Ohio, where ticks were active into September (Conlon & Rockett, 1982). Season‐long bimodal activity of D. variabilis adults in Kentucky was most similar to that found in Virginia (Carroll & Nichols, 1986), whereas activity is unimodal at the more northern latitudes of Massachusetts and Nova Scotia (Campbell, 1979; McEnroe, 1979a) and multimodal in Georgia (Newhouse, 1983).…”

“…Seasonal activity of adults in Nova Scotia and Massachusetts, the northernmost location of D. variabilis geographical range, is from April to August with one peak in May/June (Campbell, 1979; McEnroe, 1979a). Along coastal Virginia, adults are active from April to September/October with peaks in May and July (Sonenshine & Stout, 1971; Carroll & Nichols, 1986), while seasonal activity in Ohio occurs from late April until September with a peak in May/June and a second smaller peak in August/September (Conlon & Rockett, 1982). Adults are active in Georgia from late March to August with peaks in early May, late May and late June (Newhouse, 1983).…”

The Biological Survey of Canada: A Personal History

“…Overwintered larvae begin to seek hosts from March to May (Garvie et al 1978;Burachynsky and Galloway 1985). Larvae rarely actively disperse from egg masses (Conlon and Rockett 1982;McEnroe and Sphect 1987), though they may be carried large distances (i.e., > 300 m) on small mammal hosts (Sonenshine 1973). The duration of the feeding period varies among hosts but typically lasts from 3-9 days (Sonenshine and Atwood 1967).…”

“…Larvae emerge from eggs during June to September (Campbell 1979) and usually remain inactive, overwinter, and seek hosts the next year Conlon and Rockett 1982;Koch 1989). Occasionally, recently emerged larvae infest hosts in late August (Garvie et al 1978;Smart and Caccamise 1988;Micher and Rockett 1993) or September (Sonenshine et al , 1966Zimmerman et al 1987), although this fall peak in larvae may not occur in all years (Garvie et al 1978) or at all geographic localities (Jackson and DeFoliart 1975;Burachynsky and Galloway 1985).…”