16 



American Midland Naturalist Monograph No. 1 



tick. Other hosts mentioned are Gallus domesticus, man, and a single record 

 of larvae from Equus caballus reported by Starcovici in Rumania. 



As for the New World, Dr. J. Bequaert has sent us specimens from Bogota, 

 Colombia, South Amenca, collected in chicken coops. Neumann (1911) 

 recorded A. reflexus magnus from California without mention of host. Osborn 

 (1896) stated that, "It is common, I believe as far north as St. Louis." How- 

 ever, no records substantiating this statement have appeared. The only United 

 States records we have are the following: 



California. 17018, near nest of California condor, Gymnogyps caliform- 

 anus, September 18, 1939, and 1787, May 24, 1940, 'both lots from Santa 

 Paula Canyon, Ventura County, 41 nymphs and adults (Thomas F. Kelley); 

 17395, "nest in cave," April 8, 1939, Mt. Diablo, Contra Costa County, 1 

 male (D. E. Howell); 17556, nesting hole of Inyo screech owl, Otus asio 

 inyoensis, November 1940, Inyo County, 1 nymph, also 5 nymphs of Argas 

 persicus (Kenneth E. Stager). 



Montana. 15195, October 1938, Haxby, 1 female. This specimen had been 

 sent to Dr. H. B. Mills, State Entomologist, with the information that it and 

 two others were "found in the bedroom on my bed." During the summer, 10 

 or 15 swallow nests were built under the eaves of this bedroom. It appears 

 likely that the swallows were the source of the infestation. 



Assignment of the United States specimens to reflexus is made with some 

 hesitation. We believe it advisable to refer the specimens listed to this species 

 until more information is available. While they are smaller than Old World 

 and South American specimens and lack the pronounced reflexed margins of 

 the latter, they agree very closely in other morphological characteristics. How- 

 ever, it is surprising that there are no definite records of the species from 

 pigeons and other domestic birds in this country. 



Fig. 3. Distribution of Argas reflexus (Fabricius). 



