Presentation Type

Poster

Presentation Type

Submission

Keywords

Tick

Department

Biology

Major

Biology

Abstract

The Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum) is one of the most epidemiologically relevant tick species in the United States and is experiencing a range expansion. Our study aimed to investigate the effects of climatic stress on the behavior and physiology of the Lone Star Tick at the expansion front. We hypothesized that there are differences in survivorship, questing (host-seeking) behavior, and dehydration tolerance based on sex or geographic origin. We also predicted that ticks increase their host-seeking behavior as they approach death due to dehydration stress. We collected adult ticks from six sites across Oklahoma and New York/New Jersey. We placed 138 males and 135 females in individual tubes, and split them evenly in three relative humidity treatments (32%, 58%, and 84%). We assessed the ticks daily for survivorship and questing, and we evaluated their dehydration tolerance by comparing the mass of each tick when it died to when it was fully hydrated. Survivorship was higher in Oklahoma males compared to New York/New Jersey males; however, there was no difference in survivorship between female populations. Male ticks quested almost twice as frequently as females regardless of geographic origin. Dehydration tolerance was highest in Oklahoma females. Lastly, our data did not support the hypothesis that ticks quest more frequently as they approach death. The novel discovery of significant differences in survivorship, questing behavior, and dehydration tolerance based on sex and geographic origin highlights the presence of important behavioral and physiological adaptations at the margins of their distribution.

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Javier Monzón

Funding Source or Research Program

Summer Undergraduate Research Program, Not Identified

Location

Waves Cafeteria

Start Date

22-3-2024 1:30 PM

End Date

22-3-2024 2:30 PM

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Mar 22nd, 1:30 PM Mar 22nd, 2:30 PM

A tick's quest: The effects of climatic stress on host-seeking behavior of wild ticks

Waves Cafeteria

The Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum) is one of the most epidemiologically relevant tick species in the United States and is experiencing a range expansion. Our study aimed to investigate the effects of climatic stress on the behavior and physiology of the Lone Star Tick at the expansion front. We hypothesized that there are differences in survivorship, questing (host-seeking) behavior, and dehydration tolerance based on sex or geographic origin. We also predicted that ticks increase their host-seeking behavior as they approach death due to dehydration stress. We collected adult ticks from six sites across Oklahoma and New York/New Jersey. We placed 138 males and 135 females in individual tubes, and split them evenly in three relative humidity treatments (32%, 58%, and 84%). We assessed the ticks daily for survivorship and questing, and we evaluated their dehydration tolerance by comparing the mass of each tick when it died to when it was fully hydrated. Survivorship was higher in Oklahoma males compared to New York/New Jersey males; however, there was no difference in survivorship between female populations. Male ticks quested almost twice as frequently as females regardless of geographic origin. Dehydration tolerance was highest in Oklahoma females. Lastly, our data did not support the hypothesis that ticks quest more frequently as they approach death. The novel discovery of significant differences in survivorship, questing behavior, and dehydration tolerance based on sex and geographic origin highlights the presence of important behavioral and physiological adaptations at the margins of their distribution.

 

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