Dermacentor montanus Filippova and Panova, 1974

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 : 168

Dermacentor montanus Filippova and Panova, 1974

Distribution

Dermacentor montanus is here reported for the first time from Pakistan, having been found infesting yaks ( Bos grunniens ) in Chitral.

Morphological characters

Male ( Fig. 14 , A–D): Body approximately 3.95± 0.2 mm long and 2.38± 0.1 mm wide; conscutum elongate oval, widest at level of spiracular plates and coxae IV, becoming narrow anteriorly, dark red to dark brown, with extensive pale ivory ornamentation, punctations numerous and varying in size, larger punctations sparsely distributed and small ones covering the entire conscutal surface; cervical grooves deep anteriorly and shallow posteriorly, diverging outward; lateral grooves indistinct and superficial, originating at level of coxae IV and terminating at first festoon; eyes oval, slightly convex, located anteriorly at one fifth of scutal length; eleven festoons; hypostome clavate with rounded apex and bearing several rows of small denticles, dental formula 3/3; palpi and basis capituli partially covered with whitish enameling, basis capituli rectangular, with short, blunt cornua; palpi robust and short, segment 1 small but ventrally distinct, segment 2 narrow, segment 3 subtriangular and broadly rounded distally, segment 4 cylindrical; legs dorsally ornate, coxae lacking enameling, coxa I with long, triangular, closely appressed spurs, their apices narrowly rounded, coxae II and III each bearing small, broadly oval internal and sharply pointed external spurs, coxae IV enlarged with narrow, tapering triangular external spurs, genu (patella) and tibiae of legs II–IV with stout ventral spurs, tarsi humped, with moderately developed claws; genital aperture situated anterior to level of coxae II; spiracular plates suboval, lacking well-developed dorsal prolongation.

Female ( Fig. 14 , E–H): Body rounded oval, approximately 4.06± 0.2 mm long and 2.37± 0.1 mm wide, idiosoma and other body parts reddish-brown to dark brown; scutum subcircular, with prominently angled posterolateral margins, and covered with whitish enameling except in the vicinity of punctations and grooves, cervical grooves deep anteriorly, becoming shallow posteriorly, and curving toward posterolateral scutal margins; basis capituli rectangular, length nearly twice width, cornua triangular, short and pointed apically, porose areas deep and subcircular with distinct margins, palpi as in male, hypostome clavate, short and robust, with slightly rounded apex, dental formula 4/ 4 in anterior three rows, 3/3 posteriorly; legs as in male, except coxa IV smaller, ventral spurs of genu and tibia on legs II–IV as in male; genital aperture situated posterior to level of coxae II; posterior lip of genital aperture U-shaped; spiracular plates situated just posterior to coxae IV, ventral margins angularly convex, dorsal prolongation short and blunt.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Dermacentor montanus A: male dorsum (I: cervical groove, II: lateral groove); B: male venter (I: spiracular plate, II: ventral spur on genu of leg IV, III: ventral spur on tibia of leg IV); C: male dorsum (I: capitulum); D: male venter (I: capitulum, II: genital aperture); E: female dorsum (I: scutum); F: female venter (I: ventral spur on genu of leg IV, II: ventral spur on tibia of leg IV); G: female dorsum (I: basis capituli, II: cervical groove); H: female venter (I: capitulum, II: external spur of coxa I, III: genital aperture).