Salt licks do not increase local densities of the deer ked, Lipoptena cervi, an abundant ectoparasite of cervids.

摘要: The deer ked, Lipoptena cervi (Diptera: Hippoboscidae), is a common ectoparasite of the moose, Alces alces (Artiodactyla: Cervidae). Salt licks are widely used to manipulate moose movements prevent damage saplings and traffic accidents. They may cause gather in small areas, which could create aggregates ked pupae as parasite short-distance flyer its dispersion depends on hosts. We investigated whether population density flying keds be influenced by manipulating salt how environmental variables affect density. Densities were estimated 40 experimental sites with four treatments (no licks, introduced removed permanent licks) September during 2007-2010. Forest edges, mixed forests mineral soil coniferous peat habitats high numbers parasites. manipulation seemed ineffective reducing only factor show statistical significance mixed-model analysis was year determination. Annual densities correlated abundance region. Moreover, spring summer temperatures increase imagos.