Rhipicentor bicornis
| Rhipicentor bicornis | |
|---|---|
| Line-drawings of Rhipicentor bicornis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Ixodida |
| Family: | Ixodidae |
| Genus: | Rhipicentor |
| Species: | R. bicornis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Rhipicentor bicornis | |
Rhipicentor bicornis is a species of hard tick.[1] Found throughout Southern and Central Africa,[2] the species feeds mainly on domestic animals, especially dogs, but is also found on wild dogs, cats, and raccoons.[3]
Morphology
Rhipicentor are large ticks, especially when engorged.[2] They are inornate, with a short hypostome and palps. They have eyes, and distinct festoons. Coxae I and IV have very long external and internal spurs, close in coxa I and separated in coxa IV. In males, coxa IV is greatly enlarged.[4]
Ecology and parasitism
Rhipicentor bicornis is present in Southern Africa - in Northern South Africa (Transvaal region), Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and widely in Central Africa.[4] Domestic dogs and cattle are the primary adult hosts, but the species is also known from wild canids such as foxes and jackals, and wild felids such as cheetahs, leopards, lions and servals.[4]
Systematics and etymology
Rhipicentor bicornis is the type species of Rhipicentor. It is one of two species of Rhipicentor, the other being Rhipicentor nuttalli. The name "bicornis" means 'two-horned', and likely refers to the highly salient paired cornua (horns) on the female capitulum. It may also refer to the large paired coxal spurs on coxae I and IV.
References
- ^ Nuttall, G.H.F, & Warburton, C. (1908). On a new genus of Ixodoidea together with a description of eleven new species of ticks. Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society. Mathematical and Physical Sciences, 14, 392-416.
- ^ a b Fourie LJ, Horak IG, Kok DJ, Van Zyl W. Hosts, seasonal occurrence and life cycle of Rhipicentor nuttalli (Acari: Ixodidae). Onderstepoort J Vet Res. 2002 Sep;69(3):177-87. PMID: 12356163.
- ^ Guglielmone, Alberto A; Petney, Trevor N; Robbins, Richard G (2020-11-05). "Ixodidae (Acari: Ixodoidea): descriptions and redescriptions of all known species from 1758 to December 31, 2019". Zootaxa (Monograph). 4871 (1). Auckland: Magnolia Press: 1–322. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4871.1.1. eISSN 1175-5326. ISBN 9781776880881. OCLC 8837433568. PMID 33311340.
- ^ a b c Walker JB. A review of the ixodid ticks (Acari, Ixodidae) occurring in southern Africa. Onderstepoort J Vet Res. 1991 Jun;58(2):81-105. PMID: 1881661.