U.S. National Tick Collection
Encyclopedia
The U.S. National Tick Collection is the largest collection of tick
s in the world. The vital function of the collection is to separate ticks that are medically and financially important from those that are common.
The collection is owned and curated by the Smithsonian Institution
, but housed on the campus of Georgia Southern University
in Statesboro
, Georgia
where it is under the auspices of the university's Institute of Arthropodology and Parasitology. The current curator
of the collection is Lorenza Beati who was appointed late in 2011 and who is also an associate professor of Biology at Georgia Southern University. Beati holds an M.D. and Ph.D. The tick collection contains 850 separate species of tick. Evidence suggests that the collection is "larger than all other world tick collections combined." The tick collection catalyzes parasitic research which is of particular value to health and agriculture because some species of tick carry Lyme Disease
and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
. The collection's specimens are freeze dried, bottled and coated so as to appear more vividly under a microscope
. A search on Google Scholar
shows the collection referenced in approximately 295 scholarly articles. The collection also functions as an off-the-beaten track tourist destination which is referenced at travel websites including RoadsideAmerica.com and ExploreGeorgia.org. The collection is open to the public Wednesday afternoons by appointment between 3:30 and 4:30 PM.
Tick
Ticks are small arachnids in the order Ixodida, along with mites, constitute the subclass Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites , living by hematophagy on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians...
s in the world. The vital function of the collection is to separate ticks that are medically and financially important from those that are common.
The collection is owned and curated by the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, but housed on the campus of Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University is a national public university located on a campus in Statesboro, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1906, it is part of the University System of Georgia and is the largest center of higher education in the southern half of Georgia offering 117 academic majors in a comprehensive...
in Statesboro
Statesboro, Georgia
Statesboro is a city in southeast Georgia, United States, and is the county seat and most populous city of Bulloch County. Statesboro has a population of 28,422 and the Statesboro, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 70,217...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
where it is under the auspices of the university's Institute of Arthropodology and Parasitology. The current curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of the collection is Lorenza Beati who was appointed late in 2011 and who is also an associate professor of Biology at Georgia Southern University. Beati holds an M.D. and Ph.D. The tick collection contains 850 separate species of tick. Evidence suggests that the collection is "larger than all other world tick collections combined." The tick collection catalyzes parasitic research which is of particular value to health and agriculture because some species of tick carry Lyme Disease
Lyme disease
Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the most lethal and most frequently reported rickettsial illness in the United States. It has been diagnosed throughout the Americas. Some synonyms for Rocky Mountain spotted fever in other countries include “tick typhus,” “Tobia fever” , “São Paulo fever” or “febre...
. The collection's specimens are freeze dried, bottled and coated so as to appear more vividly under a microscope
Microscope
A microscope is an instrument used to see objects that are too small for the naked eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy...
. A search on Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Google Scholar is a freely accessible web search engine that indexes the full text of scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and disciplines. Released in beta in November 2004, the Google Scholar index includes most peer-reviewed online journals of Europe and America's largest...
shows the collection referenced in approximately 295 scholarly articles. The collection also functions as an off-the-beaten track tourist destination which is referenced at travel websites including RoadsideAmerica.com and ExploreGeorgia.org. The collection is open to the public Wednesday afternoons by appointment between 3:30 and 4:30 PM.