In South Africa (Theiler 19A-7), R. tricuspis occurs in the 

 warmer areas with thorn trees, from tEe seraiarid bushveld of the 

 Kalahari to the moister bushveld of the lowveld of northern and 

 eeistern Transvaal and of Natal. It is absent in the Karroo 

 scrubveld, the open grassveld of Orange Free State, and the 

 middleveld and highveld of Transvaal. 



Dr. Theiler 's present study indicates that R. tricuspis 

 appears to be resistant to a wide range of humidxty and aridity. 

 It may be found in heavy rainfall areas with k-^ inches annually 

 and in areas where there is as much as seven months of drought. 

 Santos Dias' (195CD,1952C) records of R. tricuspis and R. lunu_ 

 latus" are from areas with the same kinds of vegetatiorTarS 

 drought periods and the same average rainfall. Donitz's (1910B) 

 specimen from Little Namaqualand probably fell from its host 

 when the Trekboers were migrating with their sheep from Bush- 

 manland and the southern Kalahari into Namaqualand in search 

 of rains and pasturage. 



In Northern Rhodesia, Matthysse (1954) found adults of the 

 tricuspid brown tick mainly in the tail brush of cattle but also 

 on the feet, anus, and ears. Most specimens that I have seen 

 have been from the tail brush. They appear to be present chief- 

 ly during the rains but also in the drj' season. 



DISEASE PlEIATIONS 



MAN: Specimens from Portvigese Guinea have been reported 

 to be free of (4 fever (Coxiella burnetii ). 



PIGS: This tick is "possibly a vector of porcine piro- 

 plasmosis (Babesia trautmanni)". 



RIMARKS 



R. tricuspis was described by Donitz (I9O6) from the Kala- 

 hari of Bechuanaland. The following year, Neumann (1907B) des- 

 cribed R. lunulatus from the Congo, and in 1910(A) Donitz des- 

 cribed R. glyphis "from Togo and Tanganyika. Donitz 's papers 



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