Variability in Ornamentation of Adult Dermacentor parumapertus Neumann (Acari: Ixodidae): Implications for Tick Identification
ORCID
Goddard: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2617-7141
MSU Affiliation
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology
Creation Date
2026-10-30
Abstract
The hard tick Dermacentor parumapertus is an ectoparasite commonly found on hares and rabbits and occurs over much of the western United States. These ticks are rarely encountered except by hunters or scientists collecting rabbits for study. Herein we describe 74 adult D. parumapertus ticks (21F, 53M) removed from 8 black-tailed jackrabbits, Lepus californicus, in central Utah, and 13 adult D. parumapertus (7F, 6M) found on 4 L. californicus in western Texas. The Utah ticks were barely ornamented. Females displayed only slight gray ornamentation near the posterior edge of the scutum and whitish-gray spots distally on the femur of legs II, III, and IV; males were completely devoid of any ornamentation. In contrast, Texas specimens were richly ornamented in white, closely resembling D. variabilis. Females were brightly marked with white (not gray) on the scutum and had white spots distally on all femurs. Males from Texas were variously ornamented along the posterolateral margins of the scutum and displayed white spots distally on all femurs. Documentation of this variability in ornamentation in D. parumapertus is important, particularly as white-marked specimens can easily be confused with D. variabilis and since both species have been reported from rabbit hosts. © 2014 Systematic & Applied Acarology Society.
Keywords
Dermacentor parumapertus, identification, ornamentation, sampling, Texas, Utah
Publication Date
6-27-2014
Publication Title
Systematic and Applied Acarology
Publisher
Systematic and Applied Acarology Society
First Page
253
Last Page
256
Rights
© 2014 Systematic & Applied Acarology Society
Recommended Citation
Goddard, J., & Paddock, C. D. (2014). Variability in ornamentation of adult Dermacentor parumapertus Neumann (Acari: Ixodidae): implications for tick identification. Systematic and Applied Acarology, 253–256. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.19.2.17
