Description of Immature Stages of Haemaphysalis howletti (Ixodoidea: Ixodidae) and Redescription of Adults

Abstract

One adult and several immature Haemaphysalis howletti Warburton, 1913 are recorded from Pashan near Poona, India. The species was reared in the laboratory and a colony established. Both sexes of the species are redescribed and the nymph and larvae are described for the first time. The relationships of all the stages are discussed on the basis of morphological characters. One male and several nymphs and larvae of a Haemaphysalis tick were collected from rodents and a bird about 5 miles west of Poona, India, between October 1962 and January 1963. The immature stages were reared in the laboratory and a colony was established. One male and one female (reared from nymphs) were sent to Dr. Harry Hoogstraal, NAMRU #3, Cairo, UAR, who kindly identified them as Haemaphysalis howletti Warburton, 1913. The original description (Warburton, 1913) and subsequent redescription (Nuttall and Warburton, 1915) of H. howletti are not adequate for present diagnostic needs. It was, therefore, desirable to redescribe the adults. The nymphs and larvae are described for the first time. The present study is based on material collected from the field and from laboratory-reared specimens. All measurements are in millimeters and have been taken at the longest or the widest points. Illustrations were made from unmounted, alcohol-preserved specimens, with the help of the camera lucida; nymphs and larvae mounted on slides in Hoyer's medium were examined for finer details. Received for publication 30 January 1964. * Entire costs of printing this paper have been paid by the Rockefeller Foundation. t The Virus Research Centre is jointly maintained by the Indian Council of Medical Research and the Rockefeller Foundation. Haemaphysalis howletti Warburton, 1913