Abstract
Acarological surveys in areas outside the currently believed leading edge of the distribution
of lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum), coupled with recent reports of their identification
in previously uninvaded areas in the public health literature, suggest that this species is
more broadly distributed in North America than currently understood. Therefore, we evaluated
the potential geographic extent under present and future conditions using ecological
niche modeling approach based on museum records available for this species at the Walter
Reed Biosystematics Unit (WRBU). The median prediction of a best fitting model indicated
that lone star ticks are currently likely to be present in broader regions across the Eastern
Seaboard as well as in the Upper Midwest, where this species could be expanding its range.
Further northward and westward expansion of these ticks can be expected as a result of
ongoing climate change, under both low- and high-emissions scenarios.