Determining the photic chronotype in locomotor activity and levels of endogenous control in the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)

It is an open question whether the activity of host-seeking ticks is under endogenous circadian control or arises entirely as an exogenous response to external stimuli. We experimentally evaluated the chronotype of locomotor activity in individual unfed adult Dermacentor variabilis. Two major activi...

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Main Authors: Joseph Giulian, Natalia Toporikova, Jessica Petko, Nadia Ayoub, Thomas C. Jones, Darrell Moore
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-03-01
Series:Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X25000251
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author Joseph Giulian
Natalia Toporikova
Jessica Petko
Nadia Ayoub
Thomas C. Jones
Darrell Moore
author_facet Joseph Giulian
Natalia Toporikova
Jessica Petko
Nadia Ayoub
Thomas C. Jones
Darrell Moore
author_sort Joseph Giulian
collection DOAJ
description It is an open question whether the activity of host-seeking ticks is under endogenous circadian control or arises entirely as an exogenous response to external stimuli. We experimentally evaluated the chronotype of locomotor activity in individual unfed adult Dermacentor variabilis. Two major activity peaks in locomotor activity arose in response to an evenly split 24-hour photic cycle. Most individuals had either a chronotype with exclusively nocturnal activity or with both nocturnal and diurnal activity components. Our results indicate that diurnal behavior has an endogenous basis but suggest that nocturnal behavior is driven by an exogenous response to the photic cycle.
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publishDate 2025-03-01
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series Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases
spelling doaj-art-fa8017541e7f4ae2b0a16efbc5f862e42025-08-20T02:07:19ZengElsevierTicks and Tick-Borne Diseases1877-96032025-03-0116210246110.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102461Determining the photic chronotype in locomotor activity and levels of endogenous control in the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)Joseph Giulian0Natalia Toporikova1Jessica Petko2Nadia Ayoub3Thomas C. Jones4Darrell Moore5Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37604, USA; Corresponding author.Department of Biology, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA 24450, USABiology Department, Penn State York, York, PA 17401, USADepartment of Biology, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA 24450, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37604, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37604, USAIt is an open question whether the activity of host-seeking ticks is under endogenous circadian control or arises entirely as an exogenous response to external stimuli. We experimentally evaluated the chronotype of locomotor activity in individual unfed adult Dermacentor variabilis. Two major activity peaks in locomotor activity arose in response to an evenly split 24-hour photic cycle. Most individuals had either a chronotype with exclusively nocturnal activity or with both nocturnal and diurnal activity components. Our results indicate that diurnal behavior has an endogenous basis but suggest that nocturnal behavior is driven by an exogenous response to the photic cycle.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X25000251ChronotypeCircadian rhythmAmerican dog tickDermacentor variabilis
spellingShingle Joseph Giulian
Natalia Toporikova
Jessica Petko
Nadia Ayoub
Thomas C. Jones
Darrell Moore
Determining the photic chronotype in locomotor activity and levels of endogenous control in the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)
Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases
Chronotype
Circadian rhythm
American dog tick
Dermacentor variabilis
title Determining the photic chronotype in locomotor activity and levels of endogenous control in the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)
title_full Determining the photic chronotype in locomotor activity and levels of endogenous control in the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)
title_fullStr Determining the photic chronotype in locomotor activity and levels of endogenous control in the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)
title_full_unstemmed Determining the photic chronotype in locomotor activity and levels of endogenous control in the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)
title_short Determining the photic chronotype in locomotor activity and levels of endogenous control in the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)
title_sort determining the photic chronotype in locomotor activity and levels of endogenous control in the american dog tick dermacentor variabilis
topic Chronotype
Circadian rhythm
American dog tick
Dermacentor variabilis
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X25000251
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