Abstract
Simple SummaryPlanting wildflowers is a commonly used tool to conserve pollinators. However, it is possible that wildflower plantings may inadvertently aid tick species, complicating both vector control and pollinator conservation programs. In this study, we tested whether conservation wildflower plantings enhanced the on-farm abundance of the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.). Over two years, A. americanum were sampled using dry ice traps in wildflower plots, weedy field margins, and forested areas. We found no more A. americanum in wildflower plots than in weedy field margins. Forested areas harbored the greatest number of A. americanum sampled. Overall, wildflower plots do not pose an increased risk of exposure to A. americanum on farms. Planting wildflowers is a commonly suggested measure to conserve pollinators. While beneficial for pollinators, plots of wildflowers may be inadvertently performing an ecosystem disservice by providing a suitable habitat for arthropod disease vectors like ticks. The lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.), is a medically important tick species that might be able to utilize wildflower plantings as a suitable habitat. In this two-year study, ticks were sampled using dry ice baited traps from wildflower plots, weedy field margins, and forested areas to determine if wildflower plantings were increasing the on-farm abundance of A. americanum. Abiotic and biotic environmental variables were also measured to better understand which factors affect A. americanum abundance. We found no more A. americanum in wildflower plots than in weedy field margins. Forested areas harbored the greatest number of A. americanum sampled. The height of the vegetation in the sampled habitats was a significant factor in determining A. americanum abundance. Depending on the sampled habitat and life stage, this relationship can be positive or negative. The relationship with vegetation height may be related to the behavior of the white-tailed deer and the questing success of A. americanum. Overall, wildflower plots do not pose an increased risk of exposure to A. americanum on farms.
Highlights
The lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.). (Ixodida: Ixodidae), is an aggressively-biting species that is a nuisance to humans and a pest of livestock [1]
There was no difference in A. americanum abundance between wildflower plots and weedy field margins in 2018 and 2019 (Figure 2)
Amblyomma americanum were detected most often in the forest plots (Figure 2), with significantly fewer A. americanum collected in wildflower plots than forest plots in both years (z = −5.23, p < 0.001; z = −3.89, p = 0.003)
Summary
The lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.). (Ixodida: Ixodidae), is an aggressively-biting species that is a nuisance to humans and a pest of livestock [1]. The range of A. americanum has been expanding northward from the southeastern United States and is likely to continue moving northward under current climate change conditions [5,6]. This expanding range will expand the range of the diseases vectored by A. americanum. Amblyomma americanum is the most abundant tick species sampled in southeastern Virginia [7]. In this region, adult and nymphal A. americanum are most active from late April to mid-July, and larvae are active from August to October [8]. Amblyomma americanum utilize a wide variety of hosts like small mammals and birds, but white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmerman), are considered the primary host [9,10]
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