How does the adult male wood tick's blood meal requirement compare to the female's?
Answer
The male generally feeds only briefly or relies on resources obtained during the nymphal stage.
There is a significant disparity in feeding demands between the sexes of the wood tick after reaching maturity. While the adult female requires a massive blood meal to acquire the substantial reserves needed for oviposition—the process of producing thousands of eggs to sustain the next generation—the adult male has much lower nutritional requirements for reproduction. The male often feeds only briefly, or in some contexts, may rely primarily on the energy stores accumulated during the preceding nymphal feeding session before beginning its search for a receptive female host.
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