Hyalomma anatolicum Koch, 1844

Hyalomma anatolicum Koch, 1844

Distribution

This species is found commonly throughout the country (Kaiser & Hoogstral 1964; McCarthy 1967), especially in Punjab ( Sajid et al. 2011; Rehman et al. 2017; Karim et al. 2017; Ghafar et al. 2020b; Hussain et al. 2023), KP ( Zeb et al. 2019; Ali et al. 2019, 2021, 2023c; Khan Z et al. 2022; Alam et al. 2022; Zeb et al. 2022; Aneela et al. 2023; Tila et al. 2023; Shehla et al. 2023; Khan M et al. 2023; Khan Z et al. 2024; Ullah S et al. 2024), Sindh ( Karim et al. 2017), and Balochistan ( Karim et al. 2017; Kasi et al. 2020; Kamran et al. 2021).

Morphological characters

Male ( Fig. 25 View FIGURE 25 , A–D): Body oval, pale and small, approximately 2.60± 0.12 mm long and 1.54± 0.08 mm wide; conscutum narrowly oval, pale reddish to reddish-brown, cervical grooves superficial, extending half the length of conscutum, central festoon or parma pale or dark, often absent or poorly defined, accompanied by two pairs of clearly defined festoons, posteromedian groove not connected to parma, separated by low, smooth surface, posterolateral grooves shallow, punctations small and unevenly distributed, but numerous along short, deep lateral grooves; eyes large, bulging, enclosed in sockets; capitulum long, palpi long and parallel, basis capituli subrectangular, dorsal posterior margin straight or slightly concave, cornua minute, palpal segment 2 with proximal constriction, hypostome clavate, slightly longer than palpi, dental formula 3/3; legs long and whitish, without distinct striations, spurs of coxae I closely spaced, internal spur widely triangular, external spur curved and narrow, external spurs of coxae II–IV well developed, decreasing in size from coxae II–IV and arched posteriorly, internal spurs of coxae II–III minute and arched, internal spur of coxa IV large and prominent, tarsi and claws as shown in figure ( Fig. 24A View FIGURE 24 ); genital aperture situated at level between coxae I and II, postgenital sclerite with long lateral extensions, medially curved and reaching pregenital arch, pregenital arch narrow; adanal plates narrow and elongate, tapering posteriorly, lateral margins convex, anteromedial margins concave with inwardly projecting process, subanal plates elongate, small and slightly pointed, absent in some specimens, accessory plates subcircular and distant from adanal plates, adanal plates align with subanal plates; spiracular plates located postero-laterally with few setae and long dorsal prolongation.

Female ( Fig. 25 View FIGURE 25 , E–H): Body small, approximately 3.00± 0.12 mm long and 1.86± 0.08 mm wide, yellowish to dark brown; scutum pale to reddish-brown, as long as broad, widest at midlength near eyes, posterior margin evenly rounded, cervical grooves deep anteriorly, shallow posteriorly, extending to posterior scutal margin, punctations small, irregularly distributed; eyes large and in sockets, located laterally at scutal midlength; capitulum long, basis capituli subrectangular, posterior margin straight, cornua mildly pointed, porose areas suboval and widely separated, palpi and hypostome as in male, dental formula 3/3; coxal spurs as in male, genital aperture situated between coxae II, broadly arched, vestibular part of vagina slightly protruding and funnel-shaped, posterior lip of genital aperture U-shaped; spiracular plates situated postero-laterally, ovate, with a few setae and small dorsal prolongation.