title: Geographic variation in diapause response of adult Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks.
abstract: Diapause in adults of the African brown ear tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus is dependent on latitude and stock origin. Lower latitude populations, that is, those nearer the equator, show no diapause response to long or short day exposure. Diapause response to short daylengths is found in higher latitude populations, further south, and increases with increasing latitude. Nearly all individuals in the southen most population, used in this study, enter diapause under short and long day exposure which implies that the onset of diapause in this population is obligatory. Diapause termination in higher latitude populations is induced by increasing photoperiod, further north, but still south of the equator, diapause is terminated by ageing. The differences in diapausing behaviour of the different populations are discussed in relation to their climatic conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, B-2000 Antwerp, Belgium. mmadder@itg.be
authors.forename: Maxime
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Madder
authors.forename: Niko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Speybroeck
authors.forename: Jef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tirry
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hodek
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berkvens
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D000818:Animals; D002980:Climate; D005843:Geography; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D017440:Photoperiod; D011157:Population Dynamics