Description of a new species of Haemaphysalis Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) from the H. (Rhipistoma) asiatica subgroup, parasite of an endemic Malagasy carnivoran (Carnivora: Eupleridae).

Abstract

Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) galidiae n. sp. (Acari: Ixodidae) is described herein based on males and a single female. Adults of H. galidiae n. sp. were collected from the ring-tailed vontsira, Galidia elegans Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (Carnivora: Eupleridae) on Madagascar. Males and the single female of this new species morphologically are most close to H. obtusa Dönitz, 1910, known from various Malagasy euplerid carnivorans, including G. elegans, as well as introduced carnivorans, but can be differentiated from it by the shape of the female genital aperture, shape of posterolateral margin of palpal segment II ventrally in both male and female and shape and size of spurs on palpal segment II, coxa I and trochanter I in both sexes.