| Amblyomma sculptum (Acari: Ixodidae) is a tick from tropical and subtropical areas in South America and belongs to the family Ixodidae. This species is a pest of wildlife, livestock and humans. When this tick reaches adulthood, its preference is for horses, capybaras and cattle. Amblyomma sculptum shows little tolerance to low humidity levels, being this climatic factor important to the occurrence of the species, whose adults reach population peaks between summer and fall. This study aims at analyzing the distribution of occurrence of A. sculptum adults and climatic factors possibly associated to the event, in areas of rural-urban transition in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In a 4-year period (spring/2008 through winter/2012), ticks were collected, every season, in four areas from the municipalities of Seropédica and Mangaratiba: Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Floresta Nacional Mário Xavier (Flona), Depósito Central de Munição do Exército (DCMun) and Ilha da Marambaia. Ticks were collected per CO2 traps, fabric dragging and on the researchers’ clothes. Altogether 606 ticks were collected, most of them between December and May. The highest number of specimens (> 75%) was found in Flona and DCMun. Kruskal-Wallis test showed that there was significant difference in the occurrence of ticks among the areas and among the seasons, being Flona the area with the highest number of ticks (244), and fall the season with the same characteristic (319). By using statistical techniques of regression modeling, it was found that mean temperature increases the occurrence of ticks in the 2 days prior to collection, but it reduces this same occurrence from the third day on; relative humidity increases the occurrence; and rainfall reduces it. We can conclude that such climatic variables influence the occurrence of A. sculptum. |
