Modeling Potential Habitat for Amblyomma Tick Species in California

The genus of ticks comprises species that are aggressive human biters and vectors of pathogens. Numerous species in the genus are undergoing rapid range expansion. ticks have occasionally been introduced into California, but as yet, no established populations have been reported in the state. Because...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Insects (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2019-07, Vol.10 (7), p.201
Main Authors: Pascoe, Emily L, Marcantonio, Matteo, Caminade, Cyril, Foley, Janet E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Amblyomma
Arachnids
Bias
Biodiversity
Buffalo
Cattle
Ecological niches
Ecology
Geographical distribution
invasive species
Livestock
Low temperature
MaxEnt
Mitigation
Modelling
Range extension
Species
species distribution modeling
Surveillance
Ticks
Transport buildings, stations and terminals
Vectors
Vegetation
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Summary:The genus of ticks comprises species that are aggressive human biters and vectors of pathogens. Numerous species in the genus are undergoing rapid range expansion. ticks have occasionally been introduced into California, but as yet, no established populations have been reported in the state. Because California has high ecological diversity and is a transport hub for potentially parasitized humans and animals, the risk of future establishment may be high. We used ecological niche modeling to predict areas in California suitable for four tick species that pose high risk to humans: , , and We collected presence data in the Americas for each species from the published literature and online databases. Twenty-three climatic and ecological variables were used in a MaxEnt algorithm to predict the distribution of each species. The minimum temperature of the coldest month was an important predictor for all four species due to high mortality of at low temperatures. Areas in California appear to be ecologically suitable for , and , but not . These findings could inform targeted surveillance prior to an invasion event, to allow mitigation actions to be quickly implemented.
ISSN:2075-4450
2075-4450
DOI:10.3390/insects10070201