OF 



J'he tTransvaal Museum, 



Vol. I. AUGUST, IHO.S. No. 2. 



A LIST OF THE TICKS OF SOUTH AFRICA, 



With Descriptions and Keys to all the Forms known. 



By 0. W. Howard, 

 Goveninieiit Entomologist for Mocambique. 



There are ijrobaljtv none of the external parasites of domestic animals 

 of more importance to the stock raiser in South Africa than the ticks, 

 owing to the large number of diseases which the_y transmit from animal 

 to animal. The ticks of South x\trica have, however, onl}^ been studied 

 wdth regard to their connection with the transmission of diseases, and very 

 few people are aware of the distinction between the various species and the 

 various forms of the same species. 



With a view to throwing a little more light on these creatures, and 

 niainl)^ of assisting the work of those interested in the study of the 

 diseases referred to, a study of the ticks of South Africa was taken up by 

 me about three years ago while in the Transvaal. Since then a larg-e 

 number of the life histories of these ticks have been Avorked 

 out, and their immature stages carefully studied and compared. 

 There are still many species which I have not been able to 

 S3e owing to the rareness with which they occur, but in such 

 cases I have compiled the literature from other authors and placed 

 it in such shape as I consider will prove useful to the South .\frican 

 workers. There is still an immense amount of work to l)e done on this 

 subject, and my only plea for placing this paper before the public is in the 

 hopes that it will arouse more interest in such studies, and consequently 

 advance the work. 



Family IXODIDAE. 



The ticks or Ixodidce are distinguishable from the other families of 

 the order Acar'uia by the following characters : — 



They are always large enough to be visiljle to the naked eye, fiat when 

 young, more or less swollen when fully engorged with blood ; ' the females 

 almost always larger than the males, often attaining in certain species the 

 size of a hazel nut. The integument is always coriaceous, and usually of 

 a dull colour, such as brown or reddish-brown, but sometimes adorned 

 with bright colours and designs. 



