160 



Annals of the Tkansvaal Museum. 



HAEMAPHYSALIS LEACHI. AUDOUIN. 



The Dog Tick. 

 Ixodes leacJiii, Aiidoiiin (1827). 

 liliipistoma leacJii, Kocli (1811:). 

 Rlnpistoma elllpticuni^ Koch (1844). 

 Bhipiceplialus eJUptlcus, Kocli (1817). 

 Bhipidostomd Jeaclii, Karsch (1879). 

 -[ llaemaphijsalis leachi (Audoiiiii) (Neumann^ 1897). 



■ : . Plate XVI, figures a to )n. 



Male. — Body elongate, oval, a little eoiivex on the dorsal surface ; 

 length 3 mm., width 1.5 mm. behind the stigmata, narrower in front ; 

 colour light reddish brown. Sliield (A'T7, /) covers all the dorsal surface ; 

 wlien fully engorged sometimes a narrow line of the body is seen at its 

 lateral margins ; cervical grooves reach to level of coxae 111, deep at first, 

 then wide and shallow ; a deep marginal groove, which extends far enough 

 caudad to form the exterior margin of the three extreme caudal festoons 

 on each side ; eleven festoons present, but not always distinct on the 

 lateral margins ; punctuations numerous, fine, equal, evenly distributed 

 over the surface. Ventral surface lighter coloured, yellowish, a few fine 

 hairs and a few punctures ; sexual orifice relatively wide opposite anterior 

 edge of coxae II, an elongate plate, posterior of it ; sexual grooves not 

 very deep, diverging ; anus at posterior quarter of length, large, circular ; 

 no anal plates present ; anal groove somewhat V shaped, ano-marginal 

 groove short ; stigmatic plates short, comma shaped, with the lateral point 

 well formed. Rostrum (XVI, a, b) with base rectangular, wider than long ; 

 posterior angles of dorsal surface of base prolonged backward in blunt 

 points ; mandibles (A' TV, c) short, digit with inner apophysis thick and 

 stout, anterior end l)ent in a blunt tooth, a transverse process near anterior 

 end ; outer apophysis short, stout, bearing three teeth, two terminal ones 

 very small ; palpi longer than hypostome, triangular, article I very short 

 and narrow, hidden under article II ; article II with outer angle very 

 much prolonged, lateral and sharp, projecting beyond the base of the 

 rostrum by half its Avidth, bearing two retrograde points on its posterior 

 edge, one dorsal and one ventral, provided with eight simple hairs on its 

 ventro-median margin ; article III with three simple hairs on the posterior 

 23art of the margin ; its ventral surface prolonged backward in a 

 strong, recurved tooth ; article IV cylindro-conical, transverse, relatively 

 long, terminated by seven or eight hairs ; short hairs on the two surfaces 

 of the palpi, hypostome short and wide with anterior denticles numerous ; 

 on each half are four rows of teeth, with ten or twelve in each row ; teeth 

 strong, those in each transverse row almost equal ; the anterior ones a little 

 smaller. Legs of medium length, same colour as body ; coxae (XVI, d) wide 

 and nearly contiguous, a little hairy, with a wide blunt spine near postero- 

 median angle : tarsi relatively short ; tarsi I with pseudo-articulation at 

 distal quarter of length ; all tarsi with a small termiual s])ur, caruncle 



