The cayenne tick is recognized as a pest of wildlife, livestock, and humans. It is distributed in the Western Hemisphere between 308N and 30°S latitude. This tick has been identified as a potential vector of several diseases, but the ecology of the cayenne tick is poorly understood. The following study was conducted to examine the survival potential of this tick as a function of the saturation deficit (SD) of the environment. Saturation deficit is an index of environmental conditions that combines both temperature and relative humidity, with SD increasing with temperature but decreasing with relative humidity. Thus, high values of SD are associated with high temperatures and low relative humidities, conditions that cause ticks to experience maximum water loss. Five values were selected for SD (2.98, 4.83, 5.80, 8.88, and 13.38 mmHg) for use in the study. The conditions were established in an artificial environment, with five ticks randomly assigned to each of these conditions. The whole-body water loss of the ticks was recorded every 2 days over approximately a 3-week study period. The water losses (mg) of the ticks are given here.

a. Display the profile plot for these data, showing mean whole- body weight loss by time period for each value of SD.
b. Does an increase in SD appear to increase the whole-body weight loss for the cayenne tick?

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Days of Exposure SD Tick 2.98 L08 1.15 1.23 1.14 1138 143 87 94 1.01 110 117 1.24 13414 151 09 1.20 1.23 1.31 99 1.03 1.13 90 1.00 106 114 122 134 139 97 101 L11 1.19 129 13 L37 147154 132 139 147 88 92 10 109 119 127 135144158 1.3746155 98 109 112 1.21 1.28 1.34141 94 10 121 127140 144 149 149 1.58 163 99 107 L09 12 130 37 144 1.54 6 1.73 97 1.05 1.09 117 124 129 130 123 151 94 111 L19 1.23 1.29 1.33 143 99 103 114 118 129 133 1.361.38 1.54162 1.71 178 183 119 1.20 107 1.2913 1.50 57 164 1748193 93 10 1 .81 119 126 96 1.04 93 4.83 .85 99 04 1.05 1.16 121 91 98 107 1.14 119 1.31 580 78 .91 8.88 93 109 114 12 147 155 164 .9 105 1.08 117 125 1.29 137 44149 50 53 17 0 L01 1.09 118 1.21 129 131.39 143453 163 113 1.24 128 1.39 143 156 68 74 182 L29 1.34 1.41 1.51 1.57 1.65 1.74 1.79 1.83 1.88 1.93 1.60 69 174 79 187 203 し23 1.28 1.37 1.45 1.49 1.57 1.64 1.69 1.70 1.73 1.81 123 1.29 138 141 149 152 148 1.53 1.59 1.63 178 105 109 138 1.4047 1.49 151