Figure 3.

Life stages of Amblyomma americanum. A. americanum is implicated as a probable vector of HRTV in North America based on repeated field isolations, vector competence, and catholic host-feeding behavior. White-tailed deer serve as hosts for all three A. americanum [36] life stages, but all stages can feed on humans. Adults feed principally on middle-to-large-sized mammals, while larvae and nymphs typically feed on ground-associated birds, middle-sized mammals, and occasionally, on small mammalian hosts.