Haemaphysalis cornupunctata Hoogstraal and Varma, 1962

Ali, Abid, Almutairi, Mashal M., Robbins, Richard G., Chitimia-Dobler, Lidia & Ullah, Shafi, 2025, Updated checklist, morphological descriptions, hosts and vector potential of ticks (Acari: Argasidae, Ixodidae) in Pakistan, Zootaxa 5725 (2), pp. 151-202 : 171-172

Haemaphysalis cornupunctata Hoogstraal and Varma, 1962

Distribution

This species has been found in central KP, Saidu Sharif Swat, Gilgit, Kaghan valley and Azad Jammu and Kashmir ( Hoogstraal & Varma 1962; McCarthy 1967; Ghosh et al. 2007; Karim et al. 2017; Khan SM et al. 2023; Tila et al. 2023; Shehla et al. 2023; Ali et al. 2023c; Khan M et al. 2023), Punjab ( Hussain et al. 2023).

Morphological characters

Male ( Fig. 18 ,A–D): Body approximately 2.89± 0.2 mm long and 1.74± 0.1 mm wide, reddish brown; conscutum elongate oval, widest at spiracular area and coxae IV, lateral margins slightly convex, posterior margin bluntly rounded, lateral grooves distinct, originating at level of coxae II and extending to level of second festoon, cervical grooves deep and comma shaped anteriorly, becoming shallow and diverging posteriorly, punctations few and sparsely distributed, eleven clearly separated festoons; basis capituli rectangular, lateral margins slightly convex, with short triangular cornua, basis capituli with a few scattered punctations, palpi conical, segment 1 indistinct dorsally but bulbous and narrow basally, segment 2 twice length of segment 3, hypostome moderately stout, with bluntly rounded apex and subparallel lateral margins, narrow elongate denticles arranged in 6–8 rows, dental formula 4/4; legs stout, especially legs IV, coxal spurs increase in length from coxae I to IV, spur of coxa II is slightly larger than coxa I, coxa III is larger from coxa II, coxa IV with very large, long spur almost reaching anal region, claws moderately stout and long, trochanters without ventral spurs, tarsi stout and short, slightly humped and dorsally flat; anal groove distinct and deep, forming Y-shaped pattern; genital aperture wide and oval, situated between coxae II; spiracular plates long but with narrow dorsal prolongation.

Female ( Fig. 18 , E–H): Body large, rounded, approximately 4.00± 0.2 mm long and 3.10. 1 mm wide, colour reddish to dark brown; scutum elongate-oval, nearly twice as long as broad, anterior third of scutum diverging widely, then abruptly narrowing to bluntly rounded posterior margin, cervical grooves concave and deep, extending beyond scutal midlength, punctations larger and deeper than those of male, numerous anteriorly and sparser posteriorly; capitulum as in male except slightly larger, basis capituli rectangular, with short and widely triangular cornua, porose areas large and subcircular, palpi, hypostome and denticles similar to male, dental formula 4/4; legs stout, spurs of coxae I–III similar but slightly larger than those of male, spur of coxa IV narrow, as long as broad but smaller than that of male; genital aperture situated between coxae II, posterior lip of genital aperture U-shaped; dorsal prolongation of spiracular plate broader than in male.

Figures

FIGURE 18. Haemaphysalis cornupunctata A: male dorsum (I: cervical groove); B: male venter (I: genital aperture, II: spur of coxa IV); C: male dorsum (I: capitulum); D: male venter (I: spur of coxa I, II: spur of coxa III); E: female dorsum (I: cervical field); F: female venter (I: spur of coxa II, II: spur of coxa III), G: female dorsum (I: cornua); H: female venter (I: genital aperture, II: spur of coxa IV).