title: Effects of infection by Arsenophonus and Rickettsia bacteria on the locomotive ability of the ticks Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor variabilis, and Ixodes scapularis.
abstract: The goal of this study was to determine the effect of vertically transmitted Arsenophonus and Rickettsia bacteria on locomotive ability of larvae of three eastern North American tick species: Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor variabilis, and Ixodes scapularis. We conducted two different experiments on flat or inclined surfaces to measure tick motility. In each experiment, a moderately heated surface was used and placed at a selected incline. The individual's path across the surface was traced for a period of 2 min, or until the larval tick had moved off the surface. Following the microbial identification of Arsenophonus and Rickettsia, a mixed model analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that clutch microbial infection status had a significant effect on tick motility with Rickettsia increasing and Arsenophonus decreasing motility averaged over tick species and inclines. There was also a significant difference in motility among tick species and a highly significant effect of the Species*Incline interaction where Dermacentor had higher motility than Ixodes on the flat surface.
authors: Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405-3700, USA.
authors: Jonathan
authors: J
authors: Kagemann
authors: Keith
authors: K
authors: Clay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003870:Dermacentor / Q000382:microbiology*; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D007814:Larva / Q000382:microbiology; D008124:Locomotion; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000502:physiology*; D013559:Symbiosis