The

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 frequent ly present; the festoons are greatly variable in distinctness. 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 some... times 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 (1939C) and by Feldman Muhsam (1948).

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

PLATE L

452

HY ALOMMA IMPELTATUM Schulze and Schlottke, 1930

(= H. BRUMPTI Delpy, 1946A).

(Figures 170 to 173)

KRATZ'S HYALOMMA

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. The 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 (1946A) 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 Somali_ land, 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.).

WEST AFRICA: "WEST AFRICA" (As H. savignyi impeltatum: Schulze and Schlottke 1930). RIO DE ORO (SPANISH SAHARA): (As H. impeltatum: Kratz 1940). FRENCH WEST AFRICA (As H. brumpti: Rousselot 1948,1951,1953B, and Villiers 1955. Material from Mauritania in BMNH collections; H.H. det.). NIGERIA (As H. brumpti: Unsworth 1952. Material from Kano in BMNH collec tions; H.H. det.). IVORY COAST (As H. brumpti: Rousselot 1948. Record not repeated by Rousselot 1953B but specimens checked by Theiler).

CENTRAL AFRICA: CAMEROONS (All as H. brumpti: Delpy 1946A, 1949A,B. Rageau 1951,1953).

EAST AFRICA: SUDAN (As H. brumpti: Hoogstraal 1954B. As H. impeltatum: Feldman Muhsam 1954).

ERITREA (Specimens from near Karkobat in HH collection.

?As H. erythraeum: Tonelli Rondelli 1932C; Niro 1935; and Stella 1939A,1940; see NOTE above). ITALIAN SOMALILAND (?AS H. erythraeum: Tonelli Rondelli 1935 and Stella 1940; see NOTE above). FRENCH SOMALILAND (Material in HH collection).

NOTE: H. marginatum balcanicum of Tonelli Rondelli (1930A) from Eritrea, Somalia, and Ethiopia may refer to H. impeltatum; this name was also used by Stella (1938A,1939A,1940) for material from Italian Somaliland.

KENYA (Material in BMNH from sheep at Lais amis, Northern Frontier District; H.H. det.; collected by E. A. Lewis who had determined it as H. impressum albiparmatum. Numerous specimens in BMNH collections from cattle at Magadi and Shombole).

TANGANYIKA (Miss J. B. Walker has sent a large series of typical specimens for identification; material from a rhinoceros and wildebeest at Mto wa Mbu, a few miles north of Lake Manyara in northeastern Tanganyika, April 1952, A. C. Brooks legit).