NOTES ON 



BOOPHILUS MICROPLUS (Canestrini, 1888) 



(= B. FALLAX Minning, 1934). 



(Figiores 112 to 115 and 118) 



THE PANTROPICAL CATTLE TICK 



According to current concepts, the three Boophilus species of 

 the Ethiopian and Malagasy Faunal Regions are the only ones known 

 to comprise this genus throughout the world and subspecific desig- 

 nations are of questionable accuracy. The identification of these 

 species has been much confused in literature. The single species 

 not yet known from the Sudan, B. micro plus (= B. fallax ), threatens 

 to encroach upon these borders^ therefore succTnct notes on this 

 latter tick are interpolated in spite of the general practice of 

 exclviding non-Sudanese species from this report. 



As elucidated below, it is impossible to differentiate so- 

 called diagnostic differences between specimens from African popu- 

 lations of B. "Tall ax * and specimens of B. micro plus from popvila- 

 tions in the Near and Middle East, various parts of Asia, and South 

 America. Lengthy study of long series of material from these area^ 

 causes me to agree with Anastos (1950) that all these populations 

 appear to represent a single species. 



On the other hand, Theiler reports (correspondence) that not 

 only can she distinguish between B. fflll av and B. microplus , but 

 students with only basic knowledge of tick identification easily 

 separate both species when presented as unknowns to be keyed! 

 This matter is one of the very few items concerning which agree- 

 ment has not been reached with Theiler, after an extended exchange 

 of notes and ideas. 



Theiler states (correspondence) that in her experience in 

 the more southerly parts of Africa, B. "fall ax "* is usually local- 

 ly restricted, but where it does occur it is frequently numerous. 



- 319- 



