Host selection by questing female Amblyomma maculatum Koch, to cattle with feeding male ticks in southern Texas

The feeding associations among male and female Gulf Coast ticks, Amblyomma maculatum Koch, were examined using archived data obtained from untreated free-ranging cattle pastured on native rangeland. There was significant evidence of a relationship between male and female tick presence on hosts (p-value <0.0001), suggesting that A. maculatum females will more frequently be attracted and attach to grazing cattle with feeding males than those without. Seasonal data were tested to develop prediction models that estimate the number of female (F) ticks parasitizing cows relative to the number of male (M) ticks present for both early (F = 0.090 + 0.162M) and late season (F = 2.098 + 0.337M). These equations could be used to optimize the scheduling of surveillance and control efforts for Gulf Coast tick adults and may establish baseline dosage for pheromone applications.