Attachment site selection of ticks on roe deer, Capreolus capreolus

摘要: The spatio-temporal attachment site patterns of ticks feeding on their hosts can be significance if co-feeding transmission (i.e. from tick to without a systemic infection the host) pathogens affects persistence given disease. Using infestation data roe deer, we analysed preferred sites and niche width Ixodes (larvae, nymphs, males, females) investigated degree inter- intrastadial aggregation. different development stages showed rather consistent relative narrow niches. Larvae were mostly found head front legs nymphs reached highest densities adult neck deer. deer high degrees spatial aggregation, whereas males did not. Male large overlap with female ticks. Feeding between larval-female larval-nymphal occur especially during months May–August might allow pathogen via co-feeding. Tick density, are mainly affected by seasonality, reflecting seasonal activity abundance Since spatially temporally clustered experiments tick-borne urgently needed.