LIZARDS AS HOSTS FOR IMMATURE IXODES-SCAPULARIS (ACARI, IXODIDAE) IN NORTH-CAROLINA

Previously archived museum specimens of lizards collected throughout N orth Carolina were examined for Ixodes scapularis (Say), Lizards (n = 1,349) collected in 80 of North Carolina's 100 counties were examined. Lizards with ticks were collected in 23 (29%) of the 80 counties from which lizards were examined. I, scapularis was detected on 8.7% (n = 117) of the lizards and was the sole species of tick obtained from liz ards. Immature ticks were most frequently found on the southeastern fi ve-lined skink, Eumeces inexpectatus, and the eastern glass lizard, Op hisaurus ventralis. Larvae were most frequently found on the six-lined racerunner, Cnemidophorus sexlineatus. One C. sexlineatus harbored 17 7 larvae and 2 nymphs. Nymphs were most frequently observed on E. inex pectatus. The majority of counties (chi(2), P < 0.01) where ticks were found on lizards were in the Coastal Plain.