Using environmental factors to predict Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. (Acari: Ixodidae) mortality

• Published in: Pest management science Vol. 79; no. 9; pp. 3043 - 3049
• Main Authors: Tian, Yuexun, Lord, Cynthia C., Taylor, Caitlin E., Kaufman, Phillip E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.09.2023; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Abiotic factors; brown dog tick; Environmental factors; Health risks; Larvae; Life cycles; Mortality; Parameterization; Pest control; Pests; Relative humidity; Rhipicephalus sanguineus; Survival; Temperature; Ticks; mortality; temperature; model; relative humidity; brown dog tick
• ISSN: 1526-498X; 1526-4998
• DOI: 10.1002/ps.7479

Background Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. (Latreille, 1806) can establish indoor populations, which increases the risk of pathogen transmission to humans and companion dogs. Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. ticks spend most of their life cycle off the host, which subjects developmental timescale to abiotic factors. Previous studies showed that both temperature and relative humidity (RH) influenced Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. survival time across all life stages. However, quantified relationships between environmental factors and Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. mortality is not currently available. Here, three Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. strains were evaluated for mortality under 20 combinations of five temperatures and four RHs. The data obtained were analyzed to quantify the relationship between environmental factors and Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. survival. Results Mortality probabilities did not show a consistent pattern between the three tick strains. Temperature, RH, and their interaction influenced Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. mortality probabilities across all life stages, with mortality probability generally increasing with temperature but decreasing with RH. With 50% and lower RH, larvae cannot survive for more than 1 week. However, mortality probabilities in all strains and stages were more sensitive to temperature than to RH. Conclusion This study identified the predictive relationship between environmental factors and Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. survival, which enables estimations of tick survival time under varied residential situations, allows parameterization of population models, and provides guidance for pest control professionals to develop efficient management strategies. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. Rhipicephalus sanguineus mortality probability is influenced by temperature, relative humidity, and their interaction. Population dynamics will be affected by variation within residences or between locations.