Hyalomma scupense Schulze, 1919

Hyalomma scupense Schulze, 1919

Distribution

This tick has been reported in several regions of the country: Balochistan, Punjab, KP ( McCarthy 1967; Kasi et al. 2020; Ghafar et al. 2020b; Alam et al. 2022; Hussain et al. 2023; Tila et al. 2023; Khan M et al. 2023; Ullah S et al. 2024), northern areas ( Begum et al. 1970b), and Gilgit Baltistan ( Karim et al. 2017).

Morphological characters

Male ( Fig. 31 View FIGURE 31 , A–D): Body broadly oval, approximately 4.10± 0.2 mm long and 2.44± 0.1 mm wide; conscutum broadly oval, widest at midlength, outline of conscutum nearly squarish posteriorly, red-brown to blackish, lateral and cervical grooves shallow, extending to eye region, punctations medium to large, the latter sparsely distributed in the central, lateral and anterior fields, posteromedian groove furrow-like, paramedian grooves clearly defined, parma dome-shaped, with four well-defined festoons; eyes large and bulging; capitulum long, basis capituli lacking lateral projections, dorsal posterior margin concave, cornua moderately developed, hypostome clavate, shorter than palpi, dental formula 3/3; legs long and stout, uniformly brown or with ivory stripes dorsally, external spur of coxa I slightly longer than internal spur, both spurs closely appressed and with pointed apices, external spurs of coxae II–IV triangular with rounded apices, coxae II and III with broadly arcuate internal spurs, internal spur of coxa IV distinct and triangular; three pairs of well-developed ventral plates, adanal plates long and broad, with slightly convex lateral margins, anteromedian margins concave, posteromedian margins straight, posterior margins slightly convex, subanal plates medium-sized and aligned longitudinally, accessory plates large and close to adanal plates; genital aperture as illustrated in figure ( Fig. 31D View FIGURE 31 ), situated between coxae II; spiracular plates with long dorsal prolongation, perforated portion straight, broad and tapering toward curved apex, setae around spiracular plates sparse.

Female ( Fig. 31 View FIGURE 31 , E–H): Body broadly oval, approximately 5.05± 0.2 mm long and 3.44± 0.1 mm wide; scutum somewhat broader than long, red-brown, posterolateral angles slightly developed, posterior scutal margin rounded, cervical grooves shallow, extending to posterior scutal margin, punctations deep but sparse; eyes large and bulging; capitulum long, lateral projections of basis capituli short dorsally and barely visible ventrally, dorsal posterior margin of basis capituli slightly concave with inconspicuous cornua, palpi and hypostome as in male, dental formula 3/3; legs long, colouration similar to that of male, coxa I with long external and internal spurs, subequal in length, external spurs of coxae II–IV distinct, broadly triangular, with rounded apices, internal spurs broadly arcuate; posterior lip of genital aperture wide, deep, and V-shaped; dorsal prolongation of spiracular plate broad, curved and tapering apically, setae in spiracular area sparse.