Apanaskevich_1-12.indd


INTRODUCTION

It was originally assumed that only two species of 
the genus Hyalomma Koch, 1844, namely Hyalomma 
(Euhyalomma) truncatum Koch 1844 and Hyalomma 
(Euhyalomma) rufipes Koch 1844, occurred in South 
Africa. In 1949 Delpy described a new subspecies 
of H. (E.) rufipes, naming it Hyalomma rufipes glab-
rum Delpy, 1949. This name persisted until Theiler 
(1956) raised it to species level as Hyalomma glab-
rum, but in the same year Hoogstraal (1956) syno-

nymized it with Hyalomma marginatum turanicum 
Pomerantzev, 1946. He based this decision on a 
study of reared specimens of adult H. r. glabrum 
that were sent to him by Gertrud Theiler, and on 
some adults of H. (E.) m. turanicum originating from 
Iran. No immature stages were studied. Fur thermore, 
Hoogstraal (1956) assumed that H. (E.) m. turanicum 
had been introduced into South Africa on Per sian 
sheep apparently imported from the Medi ter ra nean 
region. Since then the name H. (E.) m. turanicum 
has been used for this tick in all publications devot-
ed to the Hyalomma ticks of South Africa. Four years 
later, the subspecific status of H. (E.) rufipes was 
demonstrated by Hoogstraal & Kaiser (1960), and it 

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Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 73:1–12 (2006)

The genus Hyalomma Koch, 1844. I. Reinstatement 
of Hyalomma (Euhyalomma) glabrum Delpy, 1949 
(Acari, Ixodidae) as a valid species with a
redescription of the adults, the first description of 
its immature stages and notes on its biology

D.A. APANASKEVICH & I.G. HORAK

Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria 
Onderstepoort, 0110 South Africa

ABSTRACT

APANASKEVICH, D.A. & HORAK, I.G. 2006. The genus Hyalomma Koch, 1844. I. Reinstatement of 
Hyalomma (Euhyalomma) glabrum Delpy, 1949 (Acari, Ixodidae) as a valid species with a redescrip-
tion of the adults, the first description of its immature stages and notes on its biology. Onderstepoort 
Journal of Veterinary Research, 73:1–12

For nearly 50 years the ixodid tick Hyalomma marginatum turanicum, reputedly introduced into South 
Africa on imported Persian sheep, has been considered identical to the Asian Hyalomma (Euhy a-
lomma) marginatum turanicum Pomerantzev, 1946. Comparisons of this tick with the Asian H. (E.) m. 
turanicum and other subspecies of Hyalomma (Euhyalomma) marginatum, however, reveal that it is 
an old taxon, namely Hyalomma rufipes glabrum Delpy, 1949. It is hereby reinstated as Hy alomma 
(Euhyalomma) glabrum, and its adults are redescribed and its immature stages described for the first 
time. The preferred hosts of its adults are large herbivores such as zebras, gems bok and eland, on 
which it occurs during summer. The preferred hosts of its immature stages are scrub hares and 
ground-frequenting birds, on which it is present during autumn and winter. Data on its distribution and 
possible disease relationships are also provided.

Keywords: Description, distribution, hosts, Hyalomma (Euhyalomma) glabrum, immature stages, 
seasonality

Accepted for publication 9 November 2005—Editor



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Hyalomma Koch, 1844. I. Reinstatement of Hyalomma (Euhyalomma) glabrum, 1949

became H. (E.) marginatum rufipes. There are thus 
cur rently two species and two subspecies of Hya-
lomma recognized in South Africa, namely H. (E.) 
truncatum, H. (E.) m. rufipes and H. (E.) m. tura ni-
cum.

The systematics of species within the H. (E.) mar gi-
natum group is one of the most complex in the sub-
genus Euhyalomma Filippova, 1984, and within the 
genus Hyalomma as a whole. This group of ticks con-
 sists of one extremely polymorphic species, namely 
Hyalomma (Euhyalomma) marginatum, which con-
tains the four subspecies, Hyalomma (Euhy alomma) 
marginatum marginatum Koch, 1844, H. (E.) m. rufi-
pes, Hyalomma (Euhyalomma) margi natum isaaci 
Sharif, 1928 and H. (E.) m. turanicum. Apanaskevich 
(2003, 2004) has published a preliminary differenti-
ation of these subspecies based on all their life stag-
es. However, after large numbers of South African 
H. (E.) m. turanicum had been examined and com-
pared with Asian H. (E.) m. turanicum it was obvious 
that these taxa are entirely different. As a conse-
quence we have now compared the morphological 
characters of males, females, nymphs and larvae of 
South African H. (E.) m. turanicum with those of H. 
(E.) m. marginatum, H. (E.) m. rufipes and H. (E.) m. 
isaaci, and those of H. (E.) m. turanicum from Asia.

The presence of a number of distinctive diagnostic 
characters on all developmental stages of South 
Afri can H. (E.) m. turanicum has persuaded us to 
designate this taxon as a separate species within 
the H. (E.) marginatum group, namely Hyalomma 
(Euhya lomma) glabrum. 

Hyalomma (Euhyalomma) glabrum Delpy, 1949

TYPE SPECIMENS: the original, extremely brief descrip-
tion in the form of an identification key was based 
on adult specimens from the Karoo, South Africa 
(“Karro”, Delpy 1949). The deposition of the type 
spe cimens is unknown. Gertrud Theiler’s laboratory-
reared specimens, from amongst which Delpy de-
scribed H. r. glabrum, are deposited in the Tick 
Museum at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute 
(OVI), South Africa, and could be considered as para-
 types or syntypes. The male and female are illus-
trated under the name Hyalomma turanicum in Hoog-
straal (1956).

SYNONYM: Hyalomma rufipes glabrum Delpy, 1949.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: 876 males, 111 females, 100 
nymphs and 100 larvae from four localities in South 
Africa (Mountain Zebra National Park (32°15’ S, 
25°27’ E), Eastern Cape Province; Karoo National 

Park (32°16’ S, 22°32’ E), Western Cape Province; 
and the farms “Outuin” (30°10’ S, 18°02’ E), Northern 
Cape Province; and “Klipfontein” (33°20’ S, 23°19’ 
E), south-western Eastern Cape Province). In addi-
tion to the abovementioned field collected speci-
mens, we have also examined the laboratory-reared 
specimens in the Gertrud Theiler collection (De Aar, 
23.XI.1942; No.: 2850, 2851, 2852, 2853, 2854, 
2855; 46 males, 88 females, nymphs and exuviae 
of nymphs, larvae and exuviae of larvae) deposited 
in the Tick Museum at the OVI. 

DESCRIPTION

The measurements are given as follows: minimum 
– maximum (average ± standard error, n = number 
of specimens examined). All measurements of adults 
are given in millimetres and those of immature stag-
es in micrometres.

MALE (Fig. 1, 2A–I)

Conscutum (Fig. 1): length 4.03–5.48 (4.72 ± 0.02, 
n = 100), width 2.77–3.63 (3.27 ± 0.02, n = 100), 

FIG. 1 Hyalomma glabrum, male, conscutum. Bar = 1 mm



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D.A. APANASKEVICH & I.G. HORAK

FIG. 2 Hyalomma glabrum, male, A, genital structures: apron, postgenital sclerite, pregenital arch. Bar = 200 μm; B, anal plates. 
Bar = 500 μm; C, spiracular plate and circumspiracular setae (A—anterior; D—dorsal). Bar = 400 μm; D, gnathosoma dor-
sally. Bar = 500 μm; E, gnathosoma ventrally. Bar = 500 μm; F, palp ventrally. Bar = 400 μm; G, hypostome. Bar = 400 μm; 
H, coxae. Bar = 500 μm; I, genu IV: (i), dorsal view, (ii), medial view, (iii), lateral view. Bar = 1 mm

A B C

A

D

E

D

F

G

H

I

(i)

(ii) (iii)