[Taxacom] a parasite-host pair which survived theend-Cretaceous extinction

[OConnor, Barry]

Probably Ixodes pacificus, a very common tick on the west coast of North America that is most often found on lizards, although it can also feed on warm blooded hosts. - Barry

-So many mites, so little time!

Barry M. OConnor                    phone: 734-763-4354
Curator & Professor                 fax: 734-763-4080
Museum of Zoology                 e-mail: bmoc at umich.edu
University of Michigan
1109 Geddes Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1079

From: Robin Leech <releech at telus.net<mailto:releech at telus.net>>
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2011 23:56:21 -0400
To: Kenneth Kinman <kennethkinman at webtv.net<mailto:kennethkinman at webtv.net>>, "taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu<mailto:taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>" <taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu<mailto:taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>>
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] a parasite-host pair which survived theend-Cretaceous extinction

When I lived in California, I used to find many fence lizards and
skinks with ticks around the ear drum, and often under the scales
on the body.
Robin

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kenneth Kinman" <kennethkinman at webtv.net<mailto:kennethkinman at webtv.net>>
To: <taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu<mailto:taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>>
Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2011 9:01 PM
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] a parasite-host pair which survived theend-Cretaceous
extinction


Dear All,
An interesting update on the arthropod
blood-suckers discussion on DML. Lice and fleas (insects) apparently
prefer hosts with hairs or feathers that they can latch onto. On the
other hand, ticks and mites (arachnids) are apparently not so particular
and also parasitize amphibians and reptiles which are ectothermic. Off
hand, I'm not sure of the overall significance of this, and will have to
mull it over when I am not so tired.
But an interesting subject in any case.   I guess
the mites have the overall edge, since they parasitize a much broader
range of organisms, and are not so dependent (as a group) on just
vertebrate blood.
---------------Ken
Kinman

http://dml.cmnh.org/2011Apr/msg00097.html


_______________________________________________

Taxacom Mailing List
Taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu<mailto:Taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
http://mailman.nhm.ku.edu/mailman/listinfo/taxacom

The Taxacom archive going back to 1992 may be searched with either of these
methods:

(1) http://taxacom.markmail.org

Or (2) a Google search specified as:
site:mailman.nhm.ku.edu/pipermail/taxacom  your search terms here



_______________________________________________

Taxacom Mailing List
Taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu<mailto:Taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
http://mailman.nhm.ku.edu/mailman/listinfo/taxacom

The Taxacom archive going back to 1992 may be searched with either of these methods:

(1) http://taxacom.markmail.org

Or (2) a Google search specified as:  site:mailman.nhm.ku.edu/pipermail/taxacom  your search terms here