Haemaphysalis (H.) sumatraensis sp. n. (Ixodoidea: Ixodidae), a Tick Parasitizing the Tiger, Boar, and Sambar Deer in Indonesia

Abstract

Haemaphysalis (H.) sumatraensis sp. n. is described from adults parasitizing the Sumatran tiger, Felis tigris sumatrae Pocock, wild boar, Sus scrofa vittatus Boie, and sambar deer, Cervus unicolor equinus Cuvier, and swept from vegetation in lowland forests of southern Sumatra. This member of the H. (H.) obesa group of the Oriental Faunal Region is related to H. (H.) obesa Larrousse (NE India to Vietnam, Thailand, N Malaya) and H. (H.) hirsuta Hoogstraal, Trapido, and Kohls (Java, Sumatra), but lacks the unusual setal patches characterizing the related species. The structure of the female external genital area is unique in each species. These species also appear to be related to H. (H.) turturis Nuttall and Warburton of the Indian Subregion, which lacks specialized female genital structure and unusual setae. H. (H.) hirsuta, previously known only by two adult specimens from Java, is recorded from numerous adults, nymphs, and a larva from forest vegetation in western Java and from adults parasitizing a wild boar and nymphs from forest vegetation and a sambar deer in the same localities as H. (H.) sumatraensis in southern Sumatra. Haemaphysalis (H.) sumatraensis sp. n., described from adults parasitizing the tiger, wild boar, and sambar deer, and swept from lowland forest vegetation in Lampong District, southern Sumatra, is a relatively unspecialized member of the H. (H.) obesa group of the Oriental Faunal Region (Hoogstraal et al., 1971) and appears also to be related to H. (H.) turturis Nuttall and Warburton (Trapido, Hoogstraal, and Varma, 1963) of the Indian Subregion. The subgeneric position of these species is tentative. Haemaphysalis (H.) sumatraensis sp. n. Sumatran forest haemaphysalid