Model for survival of unfed female Amblyomma variegatum (Acari: Ixodidae) in Kenya

Experiments were conducted in threc different ecozones in Kenya to measure the survival of unfed females of the ixodid tick Amblyomma variegatum under field conditions. Throughout the study, temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall were recorded every hour at each of the threc sites. Using a multiple linear regression procedure, a model was produced to describe survival of unfed females in terms of high temperature at ground level (cumulative day-degrees >34°C) and age. The various ways in which age and temperature can influence survival are discussed.