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R. muhlensi is known in the Sudan by only a single specimen.

DISTRIBUTION

Theiler (correspondence) believes that R. muhlensi has been frequently misidentified and that its range is more extensive than present records indicate.

CENTRAL AFRICA: BELGIAN CONGO (Theiler and Robinson 1954. These authors also attribute certain other earlier published remarks by other authors to this species).

EAST AFRICA: SUDAN (Hoogstraal 1954B).

KENYA (Specimens from Makueni; J. B. Walker, unpublished; see HOSTS). TANGANYIKA (Zumpt 1943B. Hoogstraal 1954C. J. B. Walker, unpublished; see HOSTS).

Theiler

SOUTHERN AFRICA: MOZAMBIQUE (Santos Dias 1950B,1953B). UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA As R. masseyi in Zululand: (1947) (Theiler, correspondence). See HOSTS.7

HOSTS

It is at present impossible to evaluate the relative impor tance of the few records from domestic animals in relation to the wide variety of large game animals that this tick is known to attack. As workers become better acquainted with the identity

of this tick more accurate data concerning its hosts and biology are bound to result. Hosts of the immature stages are unknown, except for a single nymph (J. B. Walker, correspondence) from an African civet in Tanganyika.

Domestic animals: Cattle (Sudan and Walker's Kenya records, above). Dog (Santos Dias 1953B).

Wild animals: Bushbuck and giraffe (Zumpt 1943B). Roan antelope (Zumpt 1943B, Hoogstraal 1954C). Nyasaland warthog (Theiler 1947). Buffalo, nyala, and South African bushbuck (Santos Dias 1950B,1953B). Impala, sable antelope, suni antelope, reedbuck, greater kudu, Cape duiker, Zambesi eland, wart hog, and buffalo (Santos Dias 1953B). Kudu (Walker's Kenya record above).

Theiler's (unpublished) host records (number of hosts, if more than one, indicated in parenthesis) are: from Mkuzi Game Reserve, Zululand, impala, nyala bushbuck (3), reedbuck (2), duiker (4), steenbuck, warthog, and bushpig; from Ubombo Flats, Natal, nyala bushbuck. In Miss Walker's collections (corres pondence) from large numbers of game animals from Tanganyika, 19 males from two buffalos are represented.

BIOLOGY

This species is now being reared at Onderstepoort (Theiler, correspondence).

Unstudied.

DISEASE RELATIONS

REMARKS

The Sudan material recorded above was compared by Dr. G. Theiler with type material in Dr. F. Zumpt's collection.

IDENTIFICATION

Male: A distinct, long dorsal process of coxa I associates this species with the R. appendiculatus group of Zumpt (1942C) but peculiar scutal characters place it with the R. aurantiacus group (1943B) to which it is referred, not, however, for reasons of indicating phylogenetic relationships but rather for the sake of convenience. Lateral grooves are indicated by a row of some what dense and regular punctations, though shallow lateral grooves as such may be present just anterior of the proximal festoons. Posteromedian grooves are shagreened, distinct, long, and narrow; paramedian grooves are shorter and wider, also shagreened. Punc tations are of medium size, fairly superficial, and moderately dense; some fine interstitials may be apparent, especially lat erally. The basis capituli is strongly angled laterally in small specimens (2.2 mm. long; 1.3 mm. wide) but more blunt and elon gate in large specimens (4.7 mm. long; 2.6 mm. wide) (as in R. appendiculatus). It should be noted that in the specimen illus trated (Figure 281), the basis capituli is exceptionally short and wide. The adanal shields (Figure 282) are most characteristic though in some individuals the width of the posterior section is not so great as in the specimen illustrated. The body greatly bulges posteriorly upon engorgement and the median festoon pro trudes. Long, pale hairs are especially conspicuous on numerous specimens in the present collection and should receive further study.

Female: The elongately ovoid scutum of this small species lacks lateral grooves and has punctations like those of the male; punctations are rare laterally anterior of the flat eyes and on the scapulae; cervical grooves are faintly indicated if at all. The basis capituli appears to be more consistently sharply angled than that of the male, but this might be a variable character.

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Figures 285 and 286, o, dorsal and ventral views Figures 287 and 288, g, dorsal and ventral views

RHIPICEPHALUS PRAVUS
Sudan Specimens

PLATE LXXX

-673

RHIPICEPHALUS PRAVUS Dönitz, 1910(B)

(R. NEAVI Warburton, 1912,

R. NEAVI PUNCTATUS Warburton, 1912; and others)

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Aug

MAN (crawling on)
Atelerix pruneri oweni
Elephantulus rufescens hoogstraali Apr (numerous)
Elephantulus rufescens hoogstraali Nov (numerous)
Elephantulus rufescens hoogstraali Dec (numerous)
Elephantulus rufescens hoogstraali Dec (numerous
Elephantulus rufescens hoogstraali Jan (numerous)
Elephantulus fuscipes

Mar

383

Apr (2)
Feb (2)
Feb

Dec

Feb

Feb

Dec

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1

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Magwe

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Torit

Torit

Ikoto

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domestic cattle

1

Lowudo

domestic cattle

Ourebia ourebi aequatoria
Alcelaphus buselaphus roosevelti
Rhynchotragus guentheri smithii
Rhynchotragus guentheri smithii
Rhynchotragus guentheri smithii
Sus scofra senaarensis

Kapoeta domestic cattle

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