Annals of the Tkansvaal Museum. 



groove stopping at the penultimate or antepenultimate festoon ; festoons- 

 well marked ; punctuations deep, distant ; hairs scattered, rather long. 

 Eostrum as in male, often a yellow spot between the porose areas ; long 

 hairs on the palpi. Leffs as in male. Engorged female can reach ta 

 15 mm. long by 11 mm. wide. 



Nynip/i.- — Form of the female, shield relatively wider ; yellow bloom 

 less extended. 



Hal) it at. — Cape Colony. 



Hosts. — Tortoise, deer. 



I have not seen this species, and have taken the description from 

 Neumann. 



Gexus APONOMMA, NEUMANN. 



Lroch's (ex. p.), Latreille (1796). 



Ophiodes, Murray (1879). (Name preoccupied.) 



Apoiioimna, Xeumann (1899). 



No eyes. Base of rostrum usually pentagonal, with latero-dorsal 

 edges very short. Palpi long. Mate with body wider or almost as wide as 

 long ; ventral surface naked ; sexual grooves very divergent behind, anal 

 groove semi -circular or pointed, opening in front, joining the sexual 

 grooves ; ano-marginal grooves median ; dorsal shield covering all the 

 upper surface, and usually marked with metallic green spots ; stigmatie 

 plates comma-shaped. Shield of Female shorter or scarcely longer than 

 wide, usually marked with metallic green spots, disposed in a triangle ;. 

 grooves on the ventral surface as in the male ; stigmatie plates shorter, 

 less attenuated at the postero-external extremity. 



This genus occurs almost exclusively on snakes a]ul lizards, although 

 Aponoinina e.roniatuui is reported as having been found in South Africa on 

 a dog. From the colouration and grooves on the ventral surface it would 

 seem to be closely related to the genus AmUijomma. It differs from that 

 genus, however, by the absence of eyes and the form of the body. The 

 absence of eyes and length of rostrum have generally made species of tliis 

 genus rank among the Ixodes, from which they differ, however, l)y the 

 general conformation. Only three forms are reported from South Africa. 



Mate. 



A. Siiield marked with nine metallic green spots. . . . e.rnriiatuiii.. 

 A A. Shield uniform, pale brownish, without metallic green spots. 

 B. Tarsi II, III^ and IV attenuated at extremity 



taeve capense. 



BB. Tarsi with a bosse at extremity . . . . . . tatuni. 



Fetnates. 



A. Shield marked with three metallic green spots ; shield as long or 

 longer than wide ; punctuations fine, close . . . . exovnatum.. 



A A. Shield uniform, reddish brown, without green spots ; wider than 

 long ; punctuations small and few. 



B. Coxae I with blunt, flat spurs, punctuations on dorsal shield 



obsolete tatum. 



BB. Spines on coxae 1 sharp ; })unctuations small and few 

 I taeve capense. 



