These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Density-dependent factors regulating feeding success of Ixodes scapularis larvae (Acari: Ixodidae).
    Author: Levin ML, Fish D.
    Journal: J Parasitol; 1998 Feb; 84(1):36-43. PubMed ID: 9488335.
    Abstract:
    We studied the effects of different parasite and host densities on the feeding success of larval Ixodes scapularis ticks upon white-footed mice Peromyscus leucopus. Mice were infested daily with 10, 25, 50, or 100 larvae and kept individually or in groups of 2 and 3 to simulate co-nesting in the field. Engorgement weight and molting success of replete larvae did not change during more than 3 wk of continuous infestation, but overall larval feeding success decreased from 24% to 12% with increased infestation density. Grooming was observed in response to unattached, crawling larvae, and grooming of unfed ticks increased with infestation density. Nearly all larvae completed engorgement once attached, although a few were groomed accidentally along with unattached ticks. Co-nesting mice fed 2-3 times fewer ticks than did solitary mice because of increased frequency of self-grooming in the presence of nest-mates, but differences between groups of 2 or 3 mice were not significant. Thus, increased mouse density may reduce the density of the tick population at first, but further increase in the number of co-nesting mice does not affect the feeding success of larval I. scapularis and increased mouse density will increase tick density.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]