Abundance, Attachment Sites, and Density Estimators of Lone Star Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) Infesting White-Tailed Deer

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Abstract
From March to November 1985 and March to October 1986, we examined 97 white-tailed deer (approximately 6 deer per month) for ticks at Land Between the Lakes (LBL) in western Kentucky and Tennessee. The largest monthly half-body mean densities ($\bar x$ ± SE) of Amblyomma americanum (L.) were 66.8 ± 22.2 females and 147.7 ± 60.1 males in May, 479.2 ± 329.6 nymphs in June, and 1,493 ± 114.7 larvae in August. A. americanum attached to all body regions; however, adults attached mainly to the outer ear, head, udder, and escutcheon; nymphs to the inner and outer ear; and larvae to the inner and outer ear and foreleg. The ear alone (inner and outer combined) had 54% of the females, 67% of males, 97% of nymphs, and 81% of larvae. Significantly different densities were found on the left side versus right side of the body for adult and larval A. americanum. We found no Dermacentor variabilis (Say) on deer, even though this tick is common throughout LBL. Regression models were developed using counts of ticks attached to selected body regions as predictors of A. americanum density on deer. Use of the density estimators contributes greatly to the interpretation of sampling results.