Exotic Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae) in the United States: Biology, Ecology, and Strategies for Management

Abstract

Abstract The Asian longhorned tick (ALT), Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann (Acari: Ixodidae), is a three-host tick that was first detected outside of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) quarantine in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, in 2017 and subsequently found in another 14 states. In its native Asia, and where it has become established in Australia and New Zealand, ALTs feed on a variety of hosts and are economically important livestock pests and competent vectors of multiple pathogens to humans and other animals. The degree to which ALT will become a persistent livestock pest or competent vector for introduced or existing pathogens in the United States is yet unclear. Because of its vast host availability, ability to reproduce asexually, known vector competence, and the presence of multiple life stages on hosts, the expansion of ALT establishment in the United States is expected, and is a significant public health and veterinary concern. In this paper, we discuss the biology, geographical distribution, life cycle and seasonal activity, reproduction, identification, medical and veterinary implications, management options, and future concerns in the United States.