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Nestling development and the timing of tick attachments
D J A Heylen1, J White, J Elst
1Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerpen, Belgium. Dieter.Heylen@ua.ac.be
Parasitology
|January 6, 2012
Summary
Tick infestations on developing songbirds show that larger ticks prefer older hosts. This suggests host age influences tick attachment strategies and parasite life histories.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Parasitology
- Zoology
Background:
- Ectoparasite burden is influenced by host development, but temporal infestation patterns are understudied in vertebrate-ectoparasite systems.
- Understanding tick attachment timing relative to host development is crucial for explaining parasite burden.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the temporal attachment patterns of the nidicolous tick Ixodes arboricola on the developing songbird Parus major.
- To determine how host age and tick instar size influence infestation success.
Main Methods:
- Experiment 1: Exposed songbird clutches at hatching to a mix of tick instars (larvae, nymphs, adults) and monitored attachment relative to brood age.
- Experiment 2: Released adult female ticks at different stages of nestling development to assess attachment patterns.
Main Results:
- A positive association was observed between the size of the attached tick instar and the age of the songbird broods.
- Adult female ticks were less likely to attach to recently hatched nestlings compared to larvae and nymphs.
- Larvae and nymphs showed a higher attachment rate on younger nestlings.
Conclusions:
- Tick attachment strategies appear adapted to host physiology and developmental stage.
- Host anti-tick resistance mechanisms may also play a role in selecting for specific tick instars at different host ages.
- Findings provide insights into tick life-history strategies and host-parasite dynamics.
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01:22Imprinting
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