tick whose adrilts feed in the winter and early spring. Pomerantzev 

 (1950) considers *'^. scupense " to be a "biological race" of H. 

 detritum . ~ 



Life Cycle of H. ^^^^^ 



The life cycle of H. detritum (= H. maviritaniciun ) in Algeria 

 has been studied by Sergent. Donatien, "Parrot, and Lestoqiiard 

 (193 IB and subsequent works). Larvae hatch in the late autumn 

 and feed and molt to nymphs on the same host, remaining attached 

 for approximately sixteen days. Nymphs hibernate for approximate- 

 ly eight months either in groups in cracks and crevices of farm- 

 yard walls about six feet above the ground, or under boulders. 

 They are never found in fields without trees and boiolders. HL- 

 bernation sites are generally those with a warm, sunny exposure, 

 and those nymphs in the warmest places molt earliest in the 

 year (June). Some days after molting, yoving adults start out 

 in search of a hostj they leave their hibernation place at night 

 and travel towards stables, sometimes covering as much as thirty 

 yards a week to reach cattle or horses. 



Adults commence attaching to the host in mid Jtme. They mate 

 and feed there, females dropping off after ten to twelve days. 

 Feeding females are most common in Jvily and August; afterwards 

 fewer are found on animals. Those that feed later do not oviposit 

 the same season. Eggs are laid on the ground near animals and 

 hatch in about six weeks. Females die after laying eggs. There 

 appears to be quite a little variation from this typical life 

 cycle. 



Males remain on the host for a much longer time than fe- 

 males and may move from one host to the other. Nymphs some- 

 times move from one host to another. 



Note that according to the Algerian reports mentioned above, 

 nymphs hibernate in cracks or crevices of farmyard walls but that 

 almost all Soviet workers, mentioned below, find nymphs alone or 

 with larvae on cattle during the winter. This raises the question 

 whether the Russian and Algerian ticks axe actually the same spe- 

 cies, and, if so, whether climatic or other factors modify their 

 choice of niches for hibernating in these far-flung areas. 



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