8 Genus Argas 



Key for the determination of species of Argas. 

 (Exclusive of doubtful species q.v. p. 5) 



(a) 



(Body circular . . . . 



\ „ oblong . 



Margin striate . . . . 

 „ with quadrangular " cells " 



. . [Body sub-conical in front 

 \ „ rounded in front 





(Dorsum with polygonal depressed areas 

 1 „ without „ 



/Body scarcely narrower in front, capitu 



lum very small and posterior 

 Body narrower anteriorly, capitulum 

 large and more anterior 



ARGAS PERSICUS (Oken) 1818 1 . 



Synonymy. Owing to its wide geographical distribution (q.v.) due, 

 it appears to us, to the distribution of its chief host, the domesticated 

 fowl, this species has been given a great many specific names : 



Rhynchoprion persicum Oken, 1818, p. 1567. 



Argas persicus Fischer de Waldheim, 1823, p. 269. 



Argas mauritianus Guerin-Meneville, 1829-43. — Megnin, 1880, p. 134 (only men- 

 tioned). Neumann, 1901, p. 256, examined a dried specimen collected by 

 Desjardins in Mauritius (Paris Mus.) and identified it as A. persicus. 



Argas miniatus C. L. Koch, 1844, p. 219 ; 1847, p. 32 (PL I, Fig. 4, legend states it 

 is a (J but text states <$ is unknown. Description insufficient, specimen from 

 Demerara, Brit. Guiana. Original description translated in Neumann, 1896, 

 p. 24). Neumann, 1901, p. 255, examined the type. Name commonly used by 

 American writers and others, see var. miniatus. 



Argas americanus Packard, 1872, p. 740, identified with A. miniatus by Neumann, 

 1901, p. 255. Synonymy explained by Salmon and Stiles (1901, p. 406) : — 

 Ercolani (1859) gave the name A. americanus Latreille to a form which is 

 parasitic in the ears of horses in San Domingo, and Gamgee (1871) did like- 

 wise, consequently the specific name americanus has to lapse. Again, Amblyomma 

 americanum was placed under Rhynchoprion by Hermann (1804), but Rhyncho- 

 prion= Argas. For this reason Railliet (1893, p. 718) gave the tick the name 

 of Argas radiatus (see below). Acarus americanus L. (Acarus nigua de Geer) 



1 The priority for this species has hitherto been given to Fischer de Waldheim. 



