Physiology of Ticks

Physiology of Ticks

Current Themes in Tropical Science
1982, Pages 469-500
Physiology of Ticks

CHAPTER 13 - Diapause and Biological Rhythms in Ticks

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This chapter discusses the daily and seasonal rhythms in ticks and their regulation. Ticks have a great diversity of biological rhythms that probably play a significant role in tick adaptation to seasonal and daily cycles as they do among insects. Ticks display circadian rhythms in important activities, such as host seeking, feeding, detachment from the host, and laying eggs. The detachment rhythm is particularly critical for ticks adapted to hosts with regular nesting habits. Seasonal rhythms, regulated by diapause, are important for synchronizing tick activities with favorable climatic conditions. The diapausing tick also has the advantage of being more resistant to unfavorable temperatures. Regulation of daily and seasonal rhythms depends on the direct response of the tick to environmental conditions and also on an internal “physiological clock.” Biological clocks are of great value to ticks, as they are to other animals, in the control of many aspects of their physiology and behavior, enabling the coordination of vital processes and their temporal organization. As a result, ticks have the ability to show adaptive behavioral and physiological changes that appear to predict daily and seasonal changes in the environment and ensure survival.

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