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

PLoS One. 2021 Apr 23;16(4):e0250272. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250272. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Between March 2014 and February 2017, host-seeking ticks were collected during the late spring and summer months seasonally, and as well as continually through all seasons from several sites in a periurban environment in Pittsburg, Kansas, located in the Central Midwestern United States. All three post-emergent life-stages of Amblyomma americanum, and the adults of three other ticks viz. Dermacentor variabilis, A. maculatum, and Ixodes scapularis were collected using the flagging method, and were taxonomically identified using morphological and molecular methods. A total of 15946 ticks were collected from these sites. A vast majority of the ticks collected over the three-year study period was A. americanum (79.01%). The three other species collected included D. variabilis (13.10%), A. maculatum (7.15%), and Ixodes scapularis (0.73%). More female ticks of each species were collected throughout the study period from all sites, and a unimodal activity period was noted for all four species. The diversity, composition, and phenology of these medically significant tick species are discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biodiversity*
  • Female
  • Kansas / epidemiology
  • Seasons
  • Tick Infestations* / epidemiology
  • Tick Infestations* / veterinary
  • Ticks / classification*

Grants and funding

Ali Hroobi was funded by a studentship from AL-Baha University, Saudi Arabia. Additional funds for conducting this project was made available to Dr. Ram Raghavan from the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (KSVDL). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.