Diel activity of Ixodes ricinus Acari: Ixodidæ at two locations near Stockholm, Sweden

• The diel 'activity', i.e. availability, of Ixodes ricinus larvae, nymphs and adults was investigated in a meadow and a forest habitat near Stockholm during 1991-1993. Generally, the immature ticks were more prevalent in the forest than in the meadow. In the meadow, the mean larval and adult numbers varied significantly between 4 h time intervals with the peak activity from 2300 to 0300 h. In the forest, tick numbers did not differ significantly between time intervals. The association of tick activity with certain meteorological variables was strongest in the meadow, where the mean numbers of all tick stages were negatively correlated with temperature.The relative humidity was positively correlated only with the mean numbers of larvae. In contrast, the larval activity in the forest was positively and negatively correlated with temperature and relative humidity, respectively, while the nymphal and adult activity showed no association with these climatic variables. The impact of host activity on tick diel activity is also discussed.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Ekologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Ecology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

diel abundance; activity; temperature; Ixodes ricinus; ticks; Acari

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)