MIDDLE EAST ; INDIA /"As H. kumari ; Sharif (1928,1930). 

 Delpy (1949BJ considers H. kumari as a synonym of H. excavatum , 

 but it seems best to reserve judgement on this matTer for the 

 moment. Nvmierous specimens typical of H, excavatvim are present 

 in aWH collections, H.H. det. As H. savi gny i ; Das gupt a (1955) 

 and Dasgupta and Ray (1955) j the possibility that these refer to 

 H. marginatum should be considere^, PORTUGESE INDIA (Santos 

 Dias l%i3). 



HOSTS 



H, excavatum is a parasite of cattle, horses, donkeys, camels, 

 buffaloes, sheep, goats, and swine. It also attacks man and dogs. 

 Hares appear to be especially important wild hosts. 



Nymphs are variable in occurrence on cattle, but nymphs and 

 larvae are often found on calves. Nymphs and larvae frequently 

 attack rodents, and normally do so on the desert. They also feed 

 on man, hares, lizards, and birds. 



All stages of H. excavatum have been observed feeding on 

 hares in a forest near Casablanca where other wild, and domestic 

 animals are absent (Blanc and Bruneau 1953,195^,1955) . In Ana- 

 tolia, numerous adults have been reared from nymphs taken from 

 hares (Hoogstraal, ms.). A larva has been reported from a hare 

 in Iraq (Hubbard 1955). In Yemen these animals are heavily 

 infested by immature stages (Hoogstraal, ms.). British Museum 

 (Natural History) collections contain specimens from Indian hares 

 (Nuttall lot 3^23; H.H. det.). Wherever hares and H. excavatvmi 

 occur together the association appears to be an important one. 



The complete absence of any specimens of H. excavatum on 

 more than five hundred hedgehogs collected throvighout Egypt, 

 is noteworthy (Hoogstraal, ms.). Hedgehogs were, however, used 

 as laboratory hosts of immature steiges by Feldman-Muhsam (194.8). 



Delpy (1949C) considers birds, especially nestlings, impor- 

 tant hosts of nymphs. A male in British Museum (Natviral History) 

 collections has been reared from a redstart, P. phoenicurus 

 (s Ruticilla pluvenicurus) at Amara on the Tigris River ^Nuttall 

 lot 32.10; H.in dei.). 



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