Chemo-Attraction in the Lone Star Tick (Acarina: Ixodidae): I. Response of different developmental stages to carbon dioxide administered via traps1

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Abstract
An effective and economical tick trap for dispensing CO2 under woodlot conditions was developed and used to demonstrate that all developmental stages of the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.), are attracted to CO2. The average number of ticks per sample from trap catches was many times greater than the number collected per sample through flagging methods, and less variability occurred among CO2 trap samples. Behavioral responses of adult and nymphal lone star ticks to CO2 were not noted at temperatures below 10°C. During cool weather the highest number of ticks was drawn to the trap approximately 3.5 hr after the maximum daily temperature was reached. Ticks marked with fluorescent dyes were attracted from as far away as 21.3 m, and the effective sampling area of the trap was approximately 25 m2. Lone star nymphs and adults were collected more abundantly with the aid of CO2 where heavy overstory, light understory and a thick layer of duff or litter occurred. Carbon dioxide traps appeared to minimize sample variation that generally occurred with flagging as a result of physical differences within woodlots. These and more recent studies suggest that when flagging methods are used in sampling, behavioral differences between tick stages could account for apparent relationships between stages and vegetative habitat types that do not actually exist. Data collected by flagging indicated that adults were less likely to be collected from areas with low underbrush than from areas with comparable tick numbers and moderate underbrush. On the other hand, nymphs were readily collected by flagging in woodlots with light understory. This suggested that if adults were not on vegetation, they were occupying a soil litter habitat that made the probability of collecting them by flagging much less than for the nymphs.

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