ARGAS PERSICUS 581 



3. Body margin formed of straight folds 4 



Body margin formed of rectangular folds . . . . persicus. 



(Asia ; Persia ; Turkestan ; North and Central India ; China ; Africa ; Egypt ; 



Algeria ; South Africa ; Australia ; Mauritius.) 



4. Body flat, folds of integument distinctly marked ...... 6 



Body long and rounded, folds of integument delicately wrinkled ... 5 



5. Discs of middle row nearly contiguous ; tarsus IV four times 



as long as wide Hermann!. 



(Egypt ; Abyssinia.) 

 Discs of middle row separated ; tarsus IV five times as long 



as broad , . . . delicatus. 



(Central Asia, Karachar.) 



6. Body oval, narrower in front ....... ref lexus. 



(Italy ; France ; Germany ; Russia ; Algeria.) 

 Body elliptical, broader anteriorly ......... 7 



7. Body twice as long as broad, base of rostrum narrower pos- 



teriorly cucumerinus. 



(Peru.) 



Body nearly as broad as long, base of rostrum rectangular, 

 and considerably anterior to coxa I ..... transgariapinus. 



(South Africa ; Orange Free State ; Basali Land.) 



8. Tarsi with no preungual dorsal protuberance .... aequalis. 



(German East Africa.) 

 Tarsi with prominent preungual dorsal protuberance . . brumpti. 



(Somaliland ; Ogaden.) 



Argas reflexus, Fabr. Adult. (Plate LXXIV, fig. 3) Body flat and 

 oval, widest towards the posterior end ; margins marked by wrinkles 

 forming radial striae ; basis capituli wider in front, and as broad as 

 it is long. Hypostome nearly as long as base of capitulum, with four 

 principle rows of teeth. Palps with segments equal, the third the 

 shortest. Spiracles crescentic, transversely elongated and equal in 

 length to the width of the anal ring. Tarsi with a distinct dorsal 

 protuberance. Length 4 to 10 mm. ; width 3 to 6 mm. The male 

 reflexits is distinguished from the female chiefly by its smaller size. 



This species is mainly limited in its distribution to Europe and North 

 Africa ; Neumann states that it occurs in California. In France it occurs 

 especially in the Ardennes. It is also common in parts of Germany, 

 Italy, Russia and Roumania. It lives in pigeon coops, hiding in 

 crevices and cracks in the woodwork, and is known in France as the 

 ' pigeon tick '. 



Neumann recognizes a variety magnus which is larger and narrower 

 than the type ; its posterior end is lanceolate in shape. It is found in 

 Equador and California. 



Argas persiciis, Oken. Adult. (Plate LXXIV, figs. 1 and 2) Body 

 flat, oval, and widest towards its posterior end ; integumentary folds 



