Fig. 5

Correlation plots showing the relationship between the fall peak in year y − 1 and the spring peak in year y for each of the four elevation sites. The fall peak in year y − 1 is strongly correlated with the spring peak in year y for the low and medium elevation sites. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and the p-value (P) are shown in brackets at the top of each panel. These results support the direct development hypothesis and indicate that the questing activity of nymphs belonging to the same cohort (i.e., recruited from larvae that obtained their blood meal in year y − 1) starts in the fall of year y − 1 and ends in the summer of year y, and it does not correspond to the calendar year