Resting height of ixodid ticks, Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann on vegetation

Abstract

To determine the resting height of Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann on vegetation, we collected ticks on vegetation along a mountain path in the southern part of Chiba Prefecture and measured the vertical height (VH) and the length from the root (LR) of resting positions on the plants. The mean VH and LR, respectively, were 51.7 and 46.9cm in nymphs, 38.4 and 41.3cm in adults, and 35.0 and 39.1cm in larvae. In this area, the values of VH and LR in larvae were larger than those reported in other areas, and adults were found at a lower height. This is probably ascribable to their main host being deer, Cervus nippon Temminck, in this area. The difference in VH and LR was small because more ticks were collected from the vegetation on a flat place than on slopes along the mountain path. The plants on which we found ticks belonged to 12 species, but there were no favored plants for resting of the ticks.