Ecology of "H. scupense " 



The single-host type of life cycle, the rapid immature- stage 

 feeding period, the long lag between female feeding and oviposition, 

 and the long period of egg laying of this form have already been 

 commented upon, in addition to the phenomenon of adult feeding 

 during the late winter and early spring months. 



Pomerantzev (1950) considers that the change in life cycle 

 from a two-host to a single-host type has allowed "H. scupense " 

 to spread further afield geographically than H. detritum . It 

 is assumed that the remark refers to encroachment into otherwise 

 inclement areas, for, so far as now Known, the overall geograph- 

 ical range of H. detritum is much more extensive than that of 

 "H. scupense " ."* 



In their work on the ixodids of Transcaucasia, Ponerantzev, 

 Matikashvily, and Lototsky (194-0) list both H. detritum and 

 "H. scupense " as widely spread species in the southern part 

 oT the Pale arctic Region. Only H. detritum is listed els a "spa- 

 cies typical for the desert and "steppe formations of eastern 

 Transcaucasia (including salsola, and wormwood-salsola forma- 

 tions, gramineous- wormwood semideserts, Andropogonetum semi- 

 steppes and the formations of highland xerophytes of southern 

 Transca\icasia)". "H. scupense " is included under "species 

 equally occxirring both in the forest zone of highlands and in 

 desert and steppe formations". ^Several biological studies 

 on this tick mentioned by Pomerantzev (1950) are unavailable 

 to the writerj.7 



Melnikova's (1953) study of ticks of the Crimean National 

 Forest showed "H. scupense " to be most common in populated areas 

 adjoining the forest. It is closely associated with the grazing 

 grounds of domestic cattle and wild deer and occurs at all 

 altitudes except that it is much less common in mountain meadows 

 near the peaks (1200 to Lfi.00 meters elevation) and in coniferous 

 forest (500 to 900 meters elevation). It is common in valleys 

 with decidvious and mixed forest (/+00 to 600 meters) , oak forest 

 with many open meadows (600 to 800 meters), and beech forest 

 with small, open fields. 



- AU- 



