and Uzbekistan. Its importance as a vector of this disease to man requires investigation.

If, as appears likely, it is true that the "H. savignyi" of Soviet workers with ticks and brucellosis applies actually to H. excavatum, it should be noted that hereditary transmission and subsequent infection of the host by the bite of this tick is claimed.

The spirochetes of certain Russian relapsing fevers do not survive in this species (as H. anatolicum excavatum) for even a day.

CATTLE: An important vector of theileriasis (Theileria annulata).

Males: Typical males are very distinctive but in almost any field collection a large number of atypical specimens may be found. Characteristically, the center of the subanal shields is posterior of the central axis of the ad anal shields. This holds true for all flat, unengorged and slightly engorged indi viduals. Males that have not flattened after molting and before being preserved, and engorged males, especially those that have fed on large animals such as camels, almost always have the subanal shields borne on an udder-like swelling and laterally displaced as in H. dromedarii. (The subanal shields are al ways small and elongate, frequently minute or even hardly dis tinguishable). Such specimens can be distinguished by smaller size and by the characteristic strong depression of the posterior part of the scutum between two smooth lateral ridges; this de pression is almost always densely punctate. (Some atypical H. dromedarii tend towards a resemblance of this last character). The lateral grooves are very short, restricted to the posterior third of the scutum. A line of punctations frequently continues anteriorly from the lateral grooves; these may be groove like enough to confuse keying the specimen. The scutum, away from

the depressed caudal area, has rare, widely scattered, medium size punctations, or none, but atypical very small and superficial punc tations may rarely confuse this pattern. A pale parma is frequently present; the festoons are greatly variable in distinctness. The scutum is usually strongly convex, and all specimens are definitely small in size for Hyalomma ticks (scutal length no more than 4.18 mm., rarely over 3.75 mm.; width no more than 2.19 mm., rarely more than 2.19 mm.). Certain populations that key to H. excavatum but measure above the upper level of this range represent distinct spe cies of uncertain identity (see pages 880 to 886).

Females: The knob-like genital apron is more or less (but al ways definitely) bulging in profile; it may be circular, elongate ly triangular, or widely triangular (but if so always distinctly much smaller than in H. marginatum or similar species) in outline; the circular outline is most characteristic and distinctive; the elongately triangular outline is fairly common and usually fairly distinctive; the widely triangular outline is not common but is apt to be confusing. The scutum is extremely variable in color and in length width ratio, but it has very few large punctations scattered in the central field, a few more in the scapular areas, and sometimes some to many very fine, superficial punctations over much of its surface. The scutal surface of engorged specimens frequently becomes extremely rugose. Typical engorged females are comparative_ ly small and narrowly elongate but quite thick dorsoventrally thus presenting a narrowly rectangular appearance.

The larva and nymph (as H. savignyi) have been described and compared with those of other species by Bernadskaia (1939) and by Feldman Muhsam (1948).

Figures 170 and 171, o, dorsal and ventral views
Figures 172 and 173, q, dorsal and ventral views

A, o genital area. B to D, o genital area, outline and profile.
A and B, unengorged. C, partly engorged. D, fully engorged.

HY ALOMMA IMPELTATUM Schulze and Schlottke, 1930

(= H. BRUMPTI Delpy, 1946A).

(Figures 170 to 173)

KRATZ'S HYALOMMA

The

NOTE: The name impeltatum, proposed by Schulze and Schlottke (1930) in a brief key to Hyalomma ticks, was said to apply to a subspecies of H. savignyi. Subsequent workers were unable to recognize this tick on the basis of the brief data provided. original material was redescribed and illustrated by Kratz (1940). Kratz also indicated that Tonelli-Rondelli's (1932C) H. erythraeum from Eritrea is probably a synonym. Delpy overlooked both H. erythraeum and Kratz's description of impeltatum and (1946AJ described H. brumpti as a new species from Cameroons. It now appears that H. brumpti is a synonym of H. impeltatum. The status of H. erythraeum is still moot.

DISTRIBUTION IN THE SUDAN

In the Sudan, H. impeltatum is restricted to the drier cen tral Provinces. It may occur locally in Northern Province, but no records are available.

Kassala: Kassala and Sinkat (cattle; SVS). Port Sudan (donkeys and cattle; SVS).

Kordofan: El Obeid and Umm Inderaba (cattle; SVS). "Northern Kordofan (camels; SVS). See also Khartoum below.

Darfur: Sibdo (horses; SVS). Muhagariya (camels, cattle,

horses, and donkeys; SVS). See also Khartoum below.

Khartoum: A large number of specimens taken from cattle from Kordofan and Darfur Provinces at the Khartoum Quarantine Station, where they were enroute to Egypt (HH)7

Males of H. impeltatum are frequently found in rather small numbers on Sudanese cattle at the Cairo abattoir. This species is present near the Sudan frontier in the southeastern corner of Egypt (HH).

DISTRIBUTION

H. impeltatum is thus far known to range from Iran and Arabia to Egypt and Libya; into the Sudan, Eritrea, French Somaliland, and restricted areas of Kenya and Tanganyika; and westwards in localized areas of central, western, and northwestern Africa. Within this area, H. impeltatum appears to be present usually in widely scattered foci. However, it is anticipated that, as the identity of this species becomes better known, certain gaps in our knowledge of its distribution will be closed. The absence of reports of this tick by Palestinian workers causes one to wonder under which name it is being identified there.

Recent finding of small numbers of H. impeltatum on wild and domestic animals in single localities of Kenya and Tanganyika, a unique distributional pattern for a Near Eastern Hyalomma, suggests that this species is slowly extending its range into East Africa.

NEAR EAST: IRAN (As H. brumpti: Delpy 1949). TURKEY (Specimens from Istanbul abattoir, on sheep said to be from Bedlise: Hoogstraal, ms.). IRAQ (Specimens from a number of localities in HH collections; others from Amara in BMNH; H.H. det.). PALESTINE (Material from Gaza in BMNH; H.H. det.). YEMEN (Fairly common: Hoogstraal, ms.).

NORTH AFRICA: EGYPT (As H. brumpti: Hoogstraal 1954A. One of the most numerous of local ticks; frequently taken on cattle from the Sudan at the Cairo abattoir: Hoogstraal, ms.). LIBYA (Numerous specimens from many localities in HH collection. There is a suspicion that the H. marginatum balcanicum of TonelliRondelli 1930A from Tripoli and Bengasi may refer to H. impeltatum). MOROCCO (Material from Mogador in BMNH; HH det.).