Two new species of Haemaphysalis Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) in the H. (Rhipistoma) spinulosa subgroup, parasites of carnivores and hedgehogs in Africa.

ABSTRACT

Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) princeps n. sp. (Acari Ixodidae) and H. (R.) camicasi n. sp. are described based on adults. Adults of H. princeps n. sp. were mostly collected from various carnivores (Carnivora Canidae, Felidae, Herpestidae, Mustelidae, Viverridae) and hedgehogs (Erinaceomorpha Erinaceidae); few specimens were found on hare (Lagomorpha Leporidae), various rodents (Rodentia Muridae) and an antelope (Artiodactyla Bovidae) in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan and Sudan. Few adults of H. princeps n. sp. were reared from nymphs collected on rodents (Rodentia Muridae) and shrew (Soricomorpha Soricidae). Adults of H. camicasi n. sp. were also mostly collected from various carnivores (Carnivora Canidae, Felidae, Herpestidae, Mustelidae, Viverridae) and hedgehogs (Erinaceomorpha Erinaceidae); few specimens were found on different rodents (Rodentia Muridae, Nesomyidae, Sciuridae), hare (Lagomorpha Leporidae) and bushbaby (Primates Galagidae) in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan and Togo. Males and females of both species can be differentiated from each other and other H. spinulosa-like ticks by their size, pattern of punctations on conscutum/scutum, size of setae, shape of genital structures, size and shape of spiracular plates, dorsal cornua, posterodorsal and posteroventral spurs on palpal segments II and spur on coxae.