128 



Anj^als of the Teansvaal Museum. 



RHIPICEPHALUS APPENDICULATUS. NEUMANN. 



The Browat Tick. 



Bhipicephalus appendiculatus, Xeumann (1901). 



Plate VIII, ligure d ; Plate IX, figure d ; Plate X, figure d ; 

 Plate XI, figures 1), d, g, i, h. 



Male. — Oval in outline, twice as wide at tlie j^osterior third as iii 

 front ; 3 to 4 mm. long ; reddish brown in colour. Shield {VIII, d) bordered 

 by the body on the sides and behind ; of a dark brown colour ; a deep 

 marginal groove limiting the last festoon ; cervical grooves very wide and 

 short, but not very deep ; punctuations unequal, the small ones very 

 numerous and superficial but quite apparent, the large ones rare and nearly 

 all anterior, a few continue the marginal groove anteriorily from the eyes ; 

 a space on each side near the middle of the length, where there are almost 

 no punctuations ; posterior festoons twice as long as wide, except the 

 extreme ones Avhich are small and square or triangular ; all festoons 

 continued into the margin of the body, the median is prolonged into a 

 narrow tail twice as long as wide, truncate at tip ; in front of festoons are 

 three longitudinal grooves, wide and short, the median a little the longest ; 

 eyes flat, reddish in colour ; dorsal porose areas near the middle of the length. 

 Ventral surface almost glal)rous, punctured, anal plates triangular (IX, d), 

 inner edge longer than outer, giving them the appearance of being pointed 

 at both ends ; punctuations deep ; accessory ])lates lacking or very small. 

 Rostrum with base relatively long, the lateral angles near the anterior third 

 of the length, posterior angles ]:>rominent ; several large punctuations on 

 dorsal surface of base ; palpi short and thick, articles angular on their 

 outer edges, articles I and II prolonged backward on the ventral side ; 

 mandil)les with process of inner apophysis transverse and bidentate on inner 

 edge, outer apophysis with two teeth, the terminal tooth small. Legs with 

 coxae II, III, and lY, each with two teeth on their posterior margins, legs 

 IV flattened dorso-ventrally ; tarsi II, III, and lY terminated by two con- 

 secutive ventral spurs. 



Female. — When young, body oval, flat, reddish brown in colour ; when 

 engorged body liecomes elliptical, swollen, thick and almost as wide at each 

 end, often reaches a length of 11 mm. and a width of 7 mm. Dorsal shield 

 (X, d) an oval lozenge in shape, with sides slightly sinuous, rounded at 

 angles ; almost as wide as long ; marginal grooves well formed, but 

 not very deep ; punctuations numerous, unequal, mostly very fine 

 and superficial, the remainder large, few in number, and scattered ; 

 punctuations less numerous in an area on each side at about the 

 middle of the length of the shield ; eyes large at the middle of 

 the length of the shiehl. Inteo-ument of dorsal surface ordinarily 

 provided with thinly distributed hairs, more abundant on the 

 ventral surface ; when young, numerous punctuations on the dorsal 

 surface ; a marginal groove on each side ; three longitudinal grooves ; 

 eleveu quadrangular ]^osterior festoons ; intes^ument often so thin as to 

 allow ramifications of the intestines to show through when fully 

 engorgcfl ; two anterior and three posterior grooves ; dorsal porose areas 

 in the anterior half of the length of the body, stigmatic plates oval, with a 

 short postero-rlorsal prolongation. Postnim with base widened into 

 prominent angles ; palpi comparatively smaller than those of the male, but 

 more elongate ; first three articles bear three projections on their inner 



