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ARS Home » Plains Area » Kerrville, Texas » Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory » Cattle Fever Tick Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #374626
Research Project: Integrated Pest Management of Cattle Fever Ticks

Location: Cattle Fever Tick Research Unit

Title: Questing by tick larvae (Acari: Ixodidae): A review of the influences that affect off-host survival

Author
item LEAL, BRENDA - University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley
item ZAMORA, EMILY - University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley
item FUENTES, AUSTIN - University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley
item Thomas, Donald
item DEARTH, ROBERT - University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Submitted to: Annals of the Entomological Society of America
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/5/2020
Publication Date: 6/22/2020
Citation: Leal, B., Zamora, E., Fuentes, A., Thomas, D.B., Dearth, R. 2020. Questing by tick larvae (Acari: Ixodidae): A review of the influences that affect off-host survival. Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 113:425-438. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saaa013.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saaa013

Interpretive Summary: Questing is a host-seeking behavior in which ticks ascend plants, extend their front legs, and wait poised for a chance to attach to a passing animal. Hard ticks are ectoparasites of humans, pets, livestock and wild animals and because some species carry disease, they are among the most medically important pests. All ticks require blood to survive and reproduce with the number of blood-hosts needed to complete their life cycle varying among the species. The vast majority require three hosts; a different host for each developmental stage: larva, nymph, and adult. A few, including some of the most economically important species, are one-host ticks, that quest only in the larval stage. Questing is a behavior critical to tick survival and disease transmission. For the off-host larval stage, survival is highly dependent on environmental factors. Yet, off-host larval ecology is often overlooked for the more obvious adult and nymphal tick-host interactions. This review summarizes the widely dispersed literature on larval tick questing with emphasis on how factors such as weather, vegetation, and naural enemies affect their survival.

Technical Abstract: Questing is a host-seeking behavior in which ticks ascend plants, extend their front legs, and wait poised for a chance to attach to a passing animal. Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are ectoparasites of terrestrial vertebrates and because some species vector disease, they are among the most medically important of arthropod pests. All ixodid ticks require blood to survive and reproduce with the number of blood-hosts needed to complete their life cycle varying among species. The vast majority are three-host ticks requiring a different host for each developmental stage: larva, nymph, and adult. A few, including some of the most economically important species, are one-host ticks, that quest only in the larval stage. Questing is a rate-limiting behavior critical to tick survival and disease transmission. For the off-host larval stage, survival is highly dependent on ecological and physiological factors. Yet, off-host larval ecophysiology is often overlooked for the more obvious adult and nymphal tick-host interactions. This review summarizes the widely dispersed literature on ixodid larval questing with emphasis on how specific biotic and abiotic factors affect off-host survival.