Ornithodoros pakistanensis Ali, Chitimia–Dobler, Muñoz-Leal and Mans

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 : 164

Ornithodoros pakistanensis Ali, Chitimia–Dobler, Muñoz-Leal and Mans

Distribution

This tick has been reported from Shangla, Dir Upper, Dir Lower, Orakzai, and Bajaur districts ( Ali et al. 2022b, 2024c).

Morphological characters

Nymph ( Fig. 9 , A–D): Body suboval, approximately 5.21± 0.2 mm long and 2.80± 0.1 mm wide, lateral margins parallel along most of body length, curving posteriorly and tapering anteriorly to rounded apex with slightly concave anterolateral margins; dorsum covered with dense and irregularly shaped mammillae, marginal mammillae bearing short setae; dorsal discs faintly visible, pebbled, with thick marginal ridges; capitulum beneath hood, cheeks small, basis capituli rectangular and wrinkled, with one pair of posthypostomal and postpalpal setae; palpi elongate with dense setae, palpal segment 1 robust; hypostome equal in length to palpal segment 2, dental formula 2/2; dorsoventral grooves present; eyes absent; postanal groove perpendicularly intersected by transverse postanal groove; legs lacking micromammillae, coxae I and II separated, coxae II–IV contiguous, size decreasing from coxae I to IV; tarsi long, tarsus I with five equally prominent dorsal humps, tarsus II with four humps, tarsi III and IV lacking dorsal humps but possessing apical protuberances, tarsus IV with 4–6 pairs of ventral setae.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) pakistanensis nymph A: dorsum (I: capitulum dorsal, II: central disc, III: discs); B: venter (I: coxae II–III, II: anus); C: dorsum (I: upper surface); D: venter (I: capitulum, II: coxa I, III: tarsus of second leg).