30/10/2019 Tick Diversity on Wild Rodents - San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District

WARREN MACDONALD, M.SC.

TICK DIVERSITY ON WILD RODENTS

To some people ticks may all look the same, but for Vector Ecologists at the San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District, knowing
the small differences among species can help us learn things such as the potential for disease transmission and distribution.  San Mateo County
is home to a variety of tick species, many of which residents are unlikely to encounter because of their highly specific habitats.  Lab employees
however, have the opportunity to collect ticks directly off wild animals when they are captured for disease surveys, in addition to routine tick
flagging.

When identifying ticks, laboratory staff must use microscopes to look for a number of unique features that differ slightly among species.  These
key features may also vary depending on the life stage of the ticks (larva, nymph or adult).  Below are a sample of the ticks of San Mateo County
in the nymph stage that have been collected and photographed by laboratory staff.

Ixodes pacificus 

The adult form of these ticks are often found “questing” on grasses or low shrubs near the sides of trails
while the nymphs often in leaf litter or on rocks and fallen logs.  This species is considered the main
vector of a number of diseases including Lyme Disease and Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis, the two
most common tick-borne diseases in our county. 
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Ixodes pacificus
Ixodes spinipalpus  
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30/10/2019 Tick Diversity on Wild Rodents - San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District

Though originally believed to be nidicolous (spending entire life around its host), some studies have
shown that these ticks do exhibit some host seeking behavior.  Though they may not encounter humans
often, it is believed they play a role in disease cycles among rodents.  The banana shape of their
mouthparts, called palps, is the identifying characteristic of the larval and nymphal stages.

Ixodes angustus  

A true nest-dwelling tick, Ixodes angustus prefer to feed on mice, voles, shrews, and rats.  You can often Ixodes spinipalpus
find all life stages feeding simultaneously on the same host.  SMCMVCD staff has collected them off of
rodents in select coastal regions and on San Bruno Mountain.  Larvae and nymphs have unique spurs on
their palps. 

Dermacentor Spp. (The Pacific Coast Tick and The American Dog Tick)  

Both Dermacentor occidentalis and Dermacentor variabilis are present in San Mateo County and present
throughout the height of summer.  Ticks in this genus can spread diseases such as Rocky Mountain Ixodes angustus
Spotted Fever (RMSF) and Tularemia, although they are rare in this   county.  Short mouthparts and ridges
along the back of their abdomen called festoons help identify these species.

Haemaphysalis leporispalustris (The Rabbit Tick)  

A widely distributed tick that feeds almost exclusively on rabbits.  The rabbit tick does not play a
prominent role in human disease transmission, but some labs have found individuals infected with
Rickettsia rickettsia, the causative agent of RMSF.  Ticks in this genus have no eyes and must rely solely Dermacentor spp.
on their other senses when host seeking. 

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30/10/2019 Tick Diversity on Wild Rodents - San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District
Haemaphysalis leporispalu
stris

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