HOSTS 



Hyraxes, or dassies, both rock and arboreal kinds, are the 

 chief host of this tick. Procavia coombsi (Bedford 1929,1932B). 

 P. capensis meneliki (Uganda material noted above). P. habessinica 

 "slatini (Sudan record above). P. johnstoni matschiei^ and Hetero- 

 hyrax velwitschi volkmanni (TheTler 194-7^. Procavia~waterbergensi3 

 (Southwest Africa; Theiler, unpublished). Dendro hyrax a. arbor eus " 

 (Santos Bias 1953C). Procavia sp. and Heterohyrax sp.' "(All other 

 records. 



Althoiogh other animals have been reported as hosts, Theiler 

 (correspondence) now believes these records to be based on in- 

 correct identification. Bedford (1934-) and Theiler (1947) referred 

 to domestic sheep in Cape Province of South Africa; and A. J. 

 Haddow (correspondence) to the long-snouted dikdik in Karamoja, 

 Uganda. 



It is of some interest that we found only a single specimen 

 of this tick on the numerous rock hyraxes taken in Torit and 

 Juba Districts in Bquatoria Province. Few of these mammals were 

 taken at Rejaf , where the tick was found, but good series were 

 obtained and carefully examined in a number of other localities. 



It is of equal interest to note that while 21 rhipicephalid 

 larvae and nymphs were found on two hyraxes (Heterohyrax brucei 

 hoogstraali ) in Torit District, these represent, according to 

 Theiler (correspondence), an unidentifiable species, not R. 

 distinctus . Inasmuch as hyrax parasites are most distinctive 

 and host- specific, it is probable that these larvae and nymphs 

 represent the same species as the single Sudanese male, which 

 differs from Southwest African specimens of R. distinctus , and 

 that these represent an undescribed species." 



BIOLOGY 



Nymphs and adults are found on rock hyraxes. Nothing else 

 is known about the biology of this species. 



- 637 - 



