Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Wageningen University, Wageningen, 6700 AA, The Netherlands.
Forest Ecology and Forest Management, Wageningen University, Wageningen, 6700 AA, The Netherlands.
Evolution. 2022 Aug;76(8):1914-1915. doi: 10.1111/evo.14543. Epub 2022 Jul 5.
Ectoparasites such as ticks face many challenges to reproduce. They must maximize the size of their blood meal while avoiding being removed by their host. In a new study, Fracasso and colleagues followed the fate of individual ticks to determine which life-history traits impact tick fitness. Their findings reveal a complex interplay between numerous parameters, including feeding time and engorgement weight. The situation is likely even more complicated when considering vector-borne pathogens.
外寄生虫,如蜱,在繁殖方面面临许多挑战。它们必须最大限度地增加其吸血量,同时避免被宿主移除。在一项新的研究中,Fracasso 及其同事跟踪了个体蜱的命运,以确定哪些生活史特征会影响蜱的适应性。他们的发现揭示了许多参数之间的复杂相互作用,包括取食时间和饱食重量。当考虑到媒介传播的病原体时,情况可能更加复杂。