Climate-driven variation in the phenology of juvenile Ixodes pacificus on lizard hosts.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ectothermic arthropods, like ticks, are sensitive indicators of environmental changes, and their seasonality plays a critical role in tick-borne disease dynamics in a warming world. Juvenile tick phenology, which influences pathogen transmission, may vary across climates, with longer tick seasons in cooler climates potentially amplifying transmission. However, assessing juvenile tick phenology is challenging in climates where desiccation pressures reduce the time ticks spend seeking blood meals. To improve our understanding of juvenile tick seasonality across a latitudinal gradient, we examine Ixodes pacificus phenology on lizards, the primary juvenile tick host in California, and explore how climate factors influence phenological patterns.

Methods

Between

SUBMITTER: Sambado S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11703333 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature