HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT OF ADULT IXODES-DAMMINI (ACARI, IXODIDAE) ATTRACTED TO CO2-BAITED TRAPS

The ability of male and female deer ticks, Ixodes dammini Spielman, Clifford, Piesman, & Corwin, to move horizontally was evaluated by performing a mark-recapture study. In each of two experiments, 120 ticks were marked with flourescent powder and released at predetermined distances from a CO2-baited trap. The mean recruitment distance was 1.8 m after 6 d of trap operation. This distance is appreciably lower than those calculated from previous studies of several other species of ixodid ticks, including Amblyomma americanum (9.9 m for 48 h) and Dermacentor andersoni (6.3 m for 48 h). Both the number of ticks attracted and the distance traveled to the trap were dependent upon the duration of trap operation (P < 0.001 for both cases).