My talk will show evidence suggesting that southern tick vectors like Ixodes scapularis and Dermacentor variabilis may follow host-sicking strategies that differ from their counterparts in the northeastern US. Our ecological, behavioral and genetic data point towards the existence of a nidiculous host-seeking strategy in southern immature ticks (i.e., larvae and nymphs). Intra-specific mixed host-seeking strategies may contribute to geographic differences in tick-borne disease transmission within the United States.
