Koch is a 3-host tick. Larvae and nymphs feed on small rodents and ground dwelling birds .
Adults primarily feed on the ears of large mammals and are considered an economic pest of cattle .
Amblyomma variegatum has been on two of the Caribbean islands since 1830, and began spreading in the 1970's and 80's. Corn et al. This expansion of A. variegatum and potential for native Amblyomma to serve as vectors of heartwater increases the risk of a foreign animal disease outbreak in North America. Furthermore, there is currently no clinical lab test available which can be performed to determine the presence or absence of the heartwater disease among a suspected infected animal population. Emerging differences in zoogeography of coastal and inland populations of Gulf Coast ticks could prove important to United States agency's emergency planning to contain a foreign animal disease outbreak.