H. leachi 467 



Varieties of Haemaphysalis leachi. 



Two varieties of H. leachi have been established : var. anstralis 

 Neumann, 1905, and var. indica Warburton, 1910. 



Neumann regarded H. leachi as an essentially African species, the 

 dentition of the hypostome in the cT being 5 | 5 and in the $ either 

 4 j 4 or 5 { 5. When, therefore, he received ^^ examples from 

 Australia and Sumatra with dentition 4 j 4 he considered this 

 difference, in conjunction with the habitat, as of varietal importance, 

 hence his var. anstralis. Donitz (1907, p. 68) has however pointed 

 out that African leachi, both cT and $ , vary in respect to their 

 dentition which in one and the same lot may range from 4 1 4 to 5 | 5, 

 We have observed the dentition in African leachi to vary between 4 | 4 

 and 6 ; 6 as the result of examining a large material, and it is clear 

 from the many specimens that have reached us from abroad that the 

 species is much more widely distributed than was at first believed. It 

 seems, therefore, impossible to maintain Neumann's variety australis. 



Warburton (1910) also underrated the range of variation to which 

 leachi is subject, not only in dentition, but also in other characteristics. 

 In a typical leachi the palps meet at a very obtuse angle, their lateral 

 contour is nearly a straight line, and article 2 has dorsal and ventral 

 retrograde processes on the lateral salience ; moreover, the scutum in 

 both sexes is long and narrow. Warburton described a variety indica 

 (Fig. 408 ; from India) with dentition 4 j 4, other characteristics much 

 softened and the dorsal retrograde process absent ; it appeared necessary 

 to establish the variety in view of the difference in facies. True 

 examples of leachi (African type) have more recently been received 

 from India, and though there are indications that the species is 

 undergoing some change in that country, tending to have shorter 

 and broader scuta and less obtuse and spinous palps, intermediate 

 forms occur and a clearly marked variety is doubtfully present. 



Similar considerations have led us to degrade H. koningshergeri 

 (Figs. 409, 410) to a synonym of H. leachi. 



There remain three established species, H. spinulosa, H. numidiana, 

 and H. obtusa, which we think it best to retain for the present, but 

 which may eventually have to be merged in H. leachi. They are very 

 closely allied to H. leachi and would appear to be recently derived 

 therefrom, but a wider knowledge of them is necessary to determine 

 how far their peculiarities are constant. It is interesting to note that 

 they correspond in size to the two extremes of the range of authentic 



