Geographic Range
Ambylomma maculatum
can be found over a fairly wide area in the western hemisphere and is considered
to be Neotropical and Nearctic. In the United States where it is heavily prevalent
they are mainly found in the southern states surrounding the Gulf Coast from Texas
to Florida and even up the eastern coast line. This distribution has lead to the tick’s
common name of “Gulf Coast tick”.
Ambylomma maculutum
can also be found in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica,
Columbia, Venezuela, and Ecuador though there is a lack of precise data for exactly
where in these countries the ticks are most predominant.
- Biogeographic Regions
- nearctic
- neotropical
Habitat
Adult
Amblyomma maculatum
spend their time either on the skin of their hosts sucking their blood or on the
ground in areas of vegetation. These hosts are fairly non-specific and can include
members of the families Equidae, Canidae, and Bovidae as well as some small birds.
The tick lives in areas with shrub vegetation and since it is vulnerable to desiccation
in areas that do not have enough humidity or too much wind they seek out sheltered
areas with good shade cover and relatively high amounts of humidity.
- Habitat Regions
- temperate
- tropical
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- forest
Physical Description
Adult Amblyomma maculatum varies slightly by gender. Both sexes of the tick have flat eyes and spurs on their fourth coxa that do not quite reach the anus’ level. They also contain a single external spur and an indistinct internal spur on the first coxa. The males have a complete marginal groove between their antennas which the females lack but the females have a glabrous notum but males do not. A comma shaped spiracular plate is seen in both sexes along with a caudal process of the plate which is about half the size of the last festoon. Both the male and female A. maculatum have palpal femurs that double the length of their palpal genu and have chitinous tubercles on the back side of the festoons. While these tubercles are present they are fairly minute and are completely missing on the central festoon. The second to fourth tibia of the ticks have spines and the basis capituli contain laterally produced auriculae and ventral processes. The baisis capituli in these ticks is also fairly straight but contains convex margins in the postero-lateral area.
The larvae of the
A. maculatum
have broad oval bodies which are widest around the posterior and middle. Covering
their bodies are several different pairs of sensilla. For instance, there have four
pairs of sensilla sagittiformia as well as several pairs of sensilla hastiformia and
sensilla auriformia. The larvae also have many different setae such as the two central
dorsal setae, eight pairs of marginal dorsal setae, three pairs of sterna setae, four
pre-marginal setae, five marginal ventral setae, one pair of anal setae, and two pre-anal
setae. In addition, the
A. maculatum
larvae have eleven festoons. The cervical grooves on the larvae are nearly parallel
but are shallow and extend beyond mid-length before diverging on the larvae’s posterior.
The eyes are flat and the first coxa bears a triangular spur while the second and
third coxa bear rounded ones. When un-engorged, a sample of these larvae averaged
a length of 0.559 mm and an average width of 0.473 mm.
- Other Physical Features
- ectothermic
- heterothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- sexes colored or patterned differently
- sexes shaped differently
Development
Amblyomma maculatum
is a three host tick. The tick starts life as a larva that parasitizes small birds
and then molts into its nymph stage that parasitizes small ground mammals. Finally
the tick once again molts into its final adult stage which is sexually active and
parasitizes larger mammals.
- Development - Life Cycle
- metamorphosis
Reproduction
There is not much known about the specific way
Amblyomma maculatum
mates except that the males of the species use pheromones to attract the females
for mating on a host. Based off of general ixodid tick behavior, however, it can be
assumed that the males and females mate with many partners and that the process probably
uses the mouth parts of the male to transfer sperm to the female via a spermatophor.
- Mating System
- polygynandrous (promiscuous)
In the genus
Amblyomma
, a female prepares for reproduction by partially engorging herself and then slowing
her feeding rate until mating. Mating occurs through the transfer of a spermataphore
from the male to the female via the male’s mouth parts and the female’s vagina. Males
can mate multiple times, even with the same female. Once a female has she quickly
finishes engorging herself to full capacity and drops off the host in order to lay
its eggs. The number of eggs depends on the size of the blood meal inside the female.
Normally, large
Amblyomma
species can produce anywhere from 15,000 to 23,000 eggs at a time. Egg production
in
A. maculatum
follows a circadian rhythm. After egg laying the female, like most ixodid tick females,
likely dies.
- Key Reproductive Features
- semelparous
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- fertilization
- oviparous
There isn’t much information specific to the parental investment of
Amblyomma maculatum
but as a general trend for most of the other ixodid ticks there is no parental investment
after the eggs are laid.
- Parental Investment
-
pre-fertilization
-
protecting
- female
-
protecting
Lifespan/Longevity
The specific life span of Amblyomma maculatum is unknown.
Behavior
The primary behavior in all life stages of
Amblyomma maculatum
is to seek a host through questing, where a tick goes to the top of a plant or leaf
and extends its front legs. However, larvae subjected to environments lacking adequate
moisture content switched from questing to moisture replenishment. In addition,
A. maculatum
nymphs will display seasonal increases and decreases in activity during their immature
life stages. These increases and decreases vary in timing depending on the tick’s
location. For example,
A. maculatum
nymphs collected in Kansas seem to be more active in the summer months compared to
nymphs collected in Texas. The Texas nymphs are generally more active in the winter.
These ticks also have a tendency to adapt to a host's grooming habits. For instance,
cows infested with
A. maculatum
rubbed against inanimate objects, and immature ticks responded by spending more of
their time moving across the host’s body and attaching to feed for shorter time periods.
Finally,
A. maculatum
nymphs will change molting times in response to photoperiod.
Communication and Perception
The primary form of communication between
Amblyomma maculatum
adults is through pheromones males use to attract females. To perceive these pheromones
as well as to locate hosts
A. maculatum
, like most ixodid ticks, use a special sensory organ called a Haller’s organ. This
organ has many tiny sensory receptors and is used to perceive chemical signals given
off by potential hosts.
- Other Communication Modes
- pheromones
- Perception Channels
- visual
- polarized light
- chemical
Food Habits
Adult
Ambylomma maculatum
are parasitic blood feeders and can be found on a wide range of animals. They are
moderately host specific and can be found on species of
Equidae
,
Canidae
, and
Bovidae
though they usually prefer larger ungulates. Larval and nymph instars of the tick
also suck the blood of their hosts. The larval stage attaches mainly to ground dwelling
birds while the nymphs prefer smaller mammals. Humans can be parasitized by this tick.
- Primary Diet
- carnivore
- Animal Foods
- blood
Predation
There is no known specific predators on Amblyomma maculatum .
Ecosystem Roles
The biggest impact
Amblyomma maculatum
ticks have on ecosystems is through their parasitic relationships with ground dwelling
birds, small mammals, and large ungulates such as cows. Through the parasitism of
such organisms
A. maculatum
can both lower the overall wellness of its host through blood drinking or by playing
a role as a host and vector for various pathogenic parasites like
Hepatozoon americanum
.
- Ecosystem Impact
- parasite
- Large ungulates
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
There are no documented economic advantages of Amblyomma maculatum .
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
The most likely economic damage that
Amblyomma maculatum
potentially causes are its vectoring of various diseases like
Rickettsia parkeri
, and
Hepatozoon americanum
. These diseases can affect people’s ability to work, produce goods, and take time
and money to treat.
Amblyomma maculatum
, a common cattle parasite, can irritate the cows on which they feed.
- Negative Impacts
-
injures humans
- causes disease in humans
- carries human disease
- causes or carries domestic animal disease
Conservation Status
Amblyomma maculatum does not have any conservation status.
Additional Links
Contributors
Sameer Singh (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Heidi Liere (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, John Marino (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Barry OConnor (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Renee Mulcrone (editor), Special Projects.
- Nearctic
-
living in the Nearctic biogeographic province, the northern part of the New World. This includes Greenland, the Canadian Arctic islands, and all of the North American as far south as the highlands of central Mexico.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- Neotropical
-
living in the southern part of the New World. In other words, Central and South America.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- temperate
-
that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle).
- tropical
-
the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- forest
-
forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality.
- ectothermic
-
animals which must use heat acquired from the environment and behavioral adaptations to regulate body temperature
- heterothermic
-
having a body temperature that fluctuates with that of the immediate environment; having no mechanism or a poorly developed mechanism for regulating internal body temperature.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- metamorphosis
-
A large change in the shape or structure of an animal that happens as the animal grows. In insects, "incomplete metamorphosis" is when young animals are similar to adults and change gradually into the adult form, and "complete metamorphosis" is when there is a profound change between larval and adult forms. Butterflies have complete metamorphosis, grasshoppers have incomplete metamorphosis.
- polygynandrous
-
the kind of polygamy in which a female pairs with several males, each of which also pairs with several different females.
- semelparous
-
offspring are all produced in a single group (litter, clutch, etc.), after which the parent usually dies. Semelparous organisms often only live through a single season/year (or other periodic change in conditions) but may live for many seasons. In both cases reproduction occurs as a single investment of energy in offspring, with no future chance for investment in reproduction.
- seasonal breeding
-
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- fertilization
-
union of egg and spermatozoan
- internal fertilization
-
fertilization takes place within the female's body
- oviparous
-
reproduction in which eggs are released by the female; development of offspring occurs outside the mother's body.
- diurnal
-
- active during the day, 2. lasting for one day.
- parasite
-
an organism that obtains nutrients from other organisms in a harmful way that doesn't cause immediate death
- sedentary
-
remains in the same area
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- pheromones
-
chemicals released into air or water that are detected by and responded to by other animals of the same species
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- polarized light
-
light waves that are oriented in particular direction. For example, light reflected off of water has waves vibrating horizontally. Some animals, such as bees, can detect which way light is polarized and use that information. People cannot, unless they use special equipment.
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- parasite
-
an organism that obtains nutrients from other organisms in a harmful way that doesn't cause immediate death
- causes disease in humans
-
an animal which directly causes disease in humans. For example, diseases caused by infection of filarial nematodes (elephantiasis and river blindness).
- causes or carries domestic animal disease
-
either directly causes, or indirectly transmits, a disease to a domestic animal
- carnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats meat
- sanguivore
-
an animal that mainly eats blood
References
Carleton, C., G. Anastos, A. Elbl. 1961. The larval ixodid ticks of the Eastern United States. Miscellaneous Publications of the Entomological Society of America , 2/3: 213-237.
Chow, Y., S. Lin. 1972. The musculature and neuromuscular potential in tarsus I of the Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum (Acarina: Ixodidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America , 65/1: 61-64.
Gladney, W., R. Grabbe, S. Ernst, D. Oehler. 1974. The Gulf Coast tick: evidence of a pheromone produced by males. Entomological Society of America , 11/3: 303-306.
Ketchum, H., P. Teel, O. Strey, M. Longnecker. 2005. Feeding predilection of Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum Koch, nymphs on cattle. Veterinary Parasitology , 4/5: 349-356.
Lohmeyer, K., J. Pound, J. George. 2009. Effects of photoperiod on reproduction, nymphal developmental timing, and diapause in Amblyomma maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae). Journal of Medical Entomology , 46/6: 1299-1302.
Mangold, A., A. Guglielmone, A. Estrada-pena, J. Venzal, C. Maria. 2005. The Amblyomma maculatum Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae: Amblyomminae) tick group: diagnostic characters, description of the larva of A. parvitarsum Neumann, 1901, 16S rDNA sequences, distribution and hosts. Systematic Parasitology , 60/2: 99-112. Accessed July 01, 2011 at http://www.springerlink.com/content/l412615472338188/ .
Mathew, J., S. Ewing, R. Panciera, K. Kocan. 1999. Sporogonic development of Hepatozoon americanum (Apicomplexa) in its definitive host, Amblyomma maculatum (Acarina). The Journal of Parasitology , 85/6: 1023-1031. Accessed July 01, 2011 at http://www.jstor.org/stable/3285663 .
Mathew, J., V. Shkap, D. Macintire, J. Barta, S. Ewing. 2003. Canine hepatozoonosis: two disease syndromes caused by separate Hepatozoon spp . Trends in Parasitology , 19/1: 27-31.
Nuttall, F., W. Cooper, L. Robinson. 1908. On the structure of "Haller's Organ" in the Ixodoidea. Parasitology , 1/3: 238-242.
Oliver, J. 1989. Biology and systematics of ticks (Acari: Ixodida). Annual Review of Ecological Systems , 20: 397-430.
Sumner, J., L. Durden. 2007. Gulf Coast ticks ( Amblyomma maculatum ) and Rickettsia pareri , United States. Emerging Infectious Diseases , 13/5: 751-753.
Teel, P., S. Fleetwood. 1983. Variation in activity of ageing Amblyomma maculatum Koch (Acarina: Ixodidae) larvae in relation to vapor presssure deficits in pasture vegetation complexes. Prot. Ecol. , 5/4: 343-352.
Teel, P., C. Scifres, T. Oldham, L. Drawe. 1988. Gulf Coast tick ( Amblyomma maculatum ) populations and responses to burning of coastal prairie habitats. The Southwestern Naturalist , 33/1: 55-64.