Ectoparasites and other ectosymbiotic arthropods of vertebrates in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA
Author
Reeves, Will K.
Author
Durden, Lance A.
Author
Ritzi, Christopher M.
Author
Beckham, Katy R.
Author
Super, Paul E
Author
Oconnor, Barry M.
text
Zootaxa
2007
1392
31
68
journal article
50155
10.5281/zenodo.273680
b16429f8-be10-4681-ae21-d44e1643a345
11755326
273680
Amblyomma americanum
(L.) lone star tick
Ex
Carpodacus mexicanus
(house finch): 6L, NC, Swain Co., Oconaluftee,
25 Jun. 2001
, P. Super, L2967.
Ex
Procyon lotor
(raccoon): 2L,
GSMNP
,
28 Sep. 1986
, R. Thompson, RML119896; 1N, 2L,
GSMNP
,
4 Sep. 1988
, R. Thompson, RML119894; 1N, 2L,
GSMNP
,
4 Sep. 1988
, R. Thompson, RML119895; 5N, 3L,
GSMNP
, date not given, R. Thompson, RML119899.
The lone star tick is common and widespread in the eastern
United States
and occurs as far north as Maine (Keirans & Lacombe 1998). However, the relatively small number of records from the Park suggests that it is not common there. Immature ticks parasitize a variety of birds and mammals whereas adults typically parasitize larger mammals including humans (Bishopp & Trembley 1945, Strickland et al. 1976, Durden & Kollars 1992). This tick is a vector of
Ehrlichia chaffeensis
,
Ehrlichia ewingii
,
Rickettsia
spp.,
Coxiella burnetii
, and “
Borrelia lonestarii
” a putative agent of southern tick associated rash illness (STARI) also known as “Lymelike disease” (Childs & Paddock 2003). A new
Ehrlichia
sp., similar to the agent of heartwater, was recently reported from
A. americanum
in
Georgia
(Loftis et al. 2006).