Crosbie P R, Boyce W M
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis 95616-8739, USA.
J Med Entomol. 1998 Nov;35(6):1034-43. doi: 10.1093/jmedent/35.6.1034.
Dermacentor hunteri Bishopp is the only completely desert adapted tick in the Nearctic realm, and chiefly parasitizes desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis Shaw) as an adult. The remainder of its life history has been unknown. We conducted field investigations in the Sonoran desert of the temporal and spatial variation of adult host-seeking ticks and of the host associations of juvenile ticks. Additionally, the feeding success of juvenile ticks was assessed in the laboratory. Adult ticks were found in significant numbers only in plateau and rocky slopes habitats, chiefly during the period from January to June. Questing adults were not found in July and August, and they were present in small numbers from September through December. Juvenile stages were found only on desert woodrats, Neotoma lepida Thomas (larvae and nymphs), and cactus mice, Peromyscus eremicus Baird (larvae only), in March, May, and early June. In the laboratory; both larvae and nymphs fed on N. lepida, but only larvae fed on P. maniculatus bairdii (Wagner). We concluded that the life history of D. hunteri may be constrained by the co-distribution of desert bighorn, desert woodrats, and perhaps cactus mice; and that adults oversummer either on desert bighorn or sequestered in favorable microclimates off the host.
亨特氏革蜱（Dermacentor hunteri Bishopp）是新北界唯一完全适应沙漠环境的蜱虫，成虫主要寄生于沙漠大角羊（Ovis canadensis Shaw）。其生命周期的其余阶段一直不为人知。我们在索诺兰沙漠对成年蜱虫寻找宿主的时间和空间变化以及幼蜱的宿主关联进行了实地调查。此外，还在实验室评估了幼蜱的取食成功率。仅在高原和岩石斜坡栖息地发现了大量成年蜱虫，主要集中在1月至6月期间。7月和8月未发现成年蜱虫在 questing，9月至12月数量较少。仅在3月、5月和6月初在沙漠林鼠（Neotoma lepida Thomas，幼虫和若虫）以及仙人掌鼠（Peromyscus eremicus Baird，仅幼虫）身上发现了幼蜱阶段。在实验室中，幼虫和若虫都以沙漠林鼠为食，但只有幼虫以白氏鹿鼠（Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii (Wagner)）为食。我们得出结论，亨特氏革蜱的生命周期可能受到沙漠大角羊、沙漠林鼠以及可能还有仙人掌鼠共同分布的限制；成年蜱虫要么在沙漠大角羊身上度过夏季，要么在远离宿主的适宜小气候中隐匿起来。
