Seasonal feeding activity of the tree-hole tick, Ixodes arboricola
Seasonal feeding activity of the tree-hole tick, Ixodes arboricola
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DOI：
10.1017/s0031182014000225
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发表时间：
2014-07-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.4
通讯作者：
Matthysen, E.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Heylen, D. J. A.;Van Oosten, A. R.;Matthysen, E.
鸟类特有的扁虱不会侵袭人类和牲畜，但这些扁虱通常与多面手的扁虱共享它们的鸟类宿主。因此，它们的取食活动可能会影响病原体在鸟类-壁虱传播周期之外的传播。在这里，我们研究了树洞硬蜱(Ixodes Arboricola)的季节性取食活动与其洞穴繁殖宿主(Parus Majus和Cyanistes caeruleus)活动的关系。我们分析了来自鸟类的扁虱的数据，巢箱内充血的扁虱的数量，以及实验中暴露于扁虱的鸟巢的数据。我们观察到一种非随机的取食模式，与扁虱的龄期和寄主年龄有关。大多数成虫以雏鸟为食，若虫和幼虫则以自由飞行的鸟类和雏鸟为食。由于它们的快速发展，一些硬蜱能够在同一繁殖季节内两次取食。自由飞行鸟类的感染率最高的时期是繁殖前和秋季和冬季，此时鸟类栖息在洞穴中。除冬季外，美洲伊蚊的取食时间与通用性较强的蓖麻硬蜱在时间上有重叠，这意味着该伊蚊和鸟类所携带的壁虱携带的微生物可以通过该伊蚊与其他寄主之间的联系。
Bird-specific ticks do not infest humans and livestock, but these ticks often share their avian hosts with generalist ticks that do. Therefore, their feeding activity may have an impact on the transmission of pathogens outside bird-tick transmission cycles. Here we examined the seasonal feeding activity of the tree-hole tick (Ixodes arboricola) in relation to the activity of its hole-breeding hosts (Parus major and Cyanistes caeruleus). We analysed data on ticks derived from birds, on the abundance of engorged ticks inside nest boxes, and on bird nests that were experimentally exposed to ticks. We observed a non-random pattern of feeding associated with the tick instar and host age. The majority of adult ticks fed on nestlings, while nymphs and larvae fed on both free-flying birds and nestlings. Due to their fast development, some ticks were able to feed twice within the same breeding season. The highest infestation rates in free-flying birds were found during the pre-breeding period and during autumn and winter when birds roost inside cavities. Except during winter, feeding of I. arboricola overlapped in time with the generalist Ixodes ricinus, implying that tick-borne microorganisms that are maintained by I. arboricola and birds could be bridged by I. ricinus to other hosts.