Starvation and overwinter do not affect the reproductive fitness of Rhipicephalus sanguineus

Rhipicephalus sanguineus is the most widespread tick in the world, being able to survive under different climate conditions. In this study, the longevity of R. sanguineus was investigated under laboratory and natural climate conditions in southern Italy. Moreover, the reproductive fitness of females after overwintering was assessed. In the environment, unfed larvae, nymphs and adults were able to survive for up to 34, 40 and 385 days, respectively. However, the longevity of larvae (44 days), nymphs (54 days) and adults (584 days) in the laboratory was longer. Adult ticks that had overwintered under natural climate conditions were able to feed and give rise to viable larvae, after 40 weeks of starvation. Thereby, it is demonstrated that R. sanguineus is able to overwinter in southern Italy, without any prejudice to its fitness. These findings advance our knowledge on the natural history of R. sanguineus in nature and provide new insights into the epidemiology of certain tick-borne diseases in southern Europe as well as into the risk for their introduction in northern European countries.