Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Related Species
70
H. davisi, a member of the “bispined” H. bispinosa group, is most closely related
to H. ramachandrai and H. bispinosa. H. ramachandrai is also a distinctly smaller
species (average male length 2.2 mm) with 4/4 (rarely 5/5 male) adult and 2/2
nymphal dental formula; obscure, short lateral grooves; and fewer ventrointernal
setae on femur IV. Other features of ramachandrai, such as somewhat smaller
coxal spurs, more broadly rounded posterior margins of female scutum and genital
operculum, different tarsal outlines, absence of a ventral spur on nymphal trochan-
ter I, etc., also serve to differentiate this species from H. davisi. H. bispinosa is a
much smaller and narrower parasite with 4/4 adult and 2/2 nymphal dental formula,
deeper lateral grooves, fewer and larger scutal punctations, much reduced spurs on
coxa II to IV, half the number of ventrointernal setae on femur IV, etc. Thus, it is
easily distinguished from H. davisi.
Host
70,120
Immature stages: Sambar deer, barking deer, cattle, sheep, Indian bison, goats,
gyacha (hybrid of cattle and gaur), mules, and from flag dragging in vegetation.
Adults: Cattle, horse, Mithan or South Asian ox, mule, sheep, goat, gaur, Indian
muntjac, sambar deer, tiger, hog badger, domestic cow, gyacha (hybrid of cattle
and gaur), and from flag dragging in vegetation.
Distribution
70
India (Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal), Burma.
Disease Relationship
Not recorded.
Ecology
118
H. (K.) davisi is recorded from tropical and temperate zones between approxi-
mately 470 and 9,000 ft altitude, contrast with those of a closely related species
H. ramachandrai, which has been taken only in tropical localities between 200 and
3,200 ft altitude in West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh states of India and from
Nepal. These ticks have been recorded from domestic and wild mammals and from
vegetation.
2.7.7 Haemaphysalis ramachandrai
This species was first described by Dhanda et al. in 1970 from lab-reared and field-
collected specimens from lowlands of Himalayan foothills of India and Nepal. The
species is named after Ramchandra Rao,
the then director of Virus Research
