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ARS Home » Plains Area » Kerrville, Texas » Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory » Cattle Fever Tick Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #427914
Research Project: Integrated Pest Management of Cattle Fever Ticks

Location: Cattle Fever Tick Research Unit

Title: Description of all stages of a new tick species from California, Haemaphysalis vespertina (Acari: Ixodidae) and phylogenetic relationships among related U.S. taxa

Author
item EGIZI, A - Rutgers University
item NAVA, S - Instituto Nacional Tecnologia Agropecuaria
item NAKANO, A - San Mateo County Mosquito & Vector Control District
item SAUNDERS, M - California Department Of Public Health
item ANGELUS, A.D. - New Jersey Department Of Environmental Protection
item NODEN, B. - Oklahoma State University
item NADOLNY, R.M. - Us Army Public Health Command (USAPHC)
item BAJWA, W.I. - Nyc Department Of Health And Mental Hygiene
item LUBELCYZK, C - Mainehealth Institute For Research (MHIR)
item BEATI, L. - Georgia Southern University

Submitted to: Zootaxa
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/2/2025
Publication Date: 11/11/2025
Citation: Egizi, A., Nava, S., Nakano, A., Saunders, M., Angelus, A., Noden, B., Nadolny, R., Bajwa, W., Lubelcyzk, C., Beati, L. 2025. Description of all stages of a new tick species from California, Haemaphysalis vespertina (Acari: Ixodidae) and phylogenetic relationships among related U.S. taxa. Zootaxa. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5719.1.2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5719.1.2

Interpretive Summary: All active stages of the proposed new tick species (Haemaphysalis vespirtina), previously identified as the rabbit tick (H. leporispalustris), are described from specimens collected on vegetation and from rabbits in California and Oregon. The adult ticks are redescribed based on museum specimens. The adults of the two species can be distinguished by their overall size, the dorsal shape of mouthparts, number and shape of hair on mouthparts, by number of spurs on the base of the legs, the length of hair on the back, legs and base of the legs, and pattern of punctation on the back.

Technical Abstract: All active stages of Haemaphysalis vespertina n. sp. (Acari: Ixodidae), a tick previously identified as H. leporispalustris (Packard, 1869), are described from specimens collected on the vegetation and from leporids in California and Oregon. The adults of H. leporispalustris (Packard, 1969) are redescribed based on type materials. The adults of the two species can be distinguished by their overall size, the dorsal shape of palp II, number and shape of dorsal and ventral setae on palp II, by number of spurs on coxae II, the length of setae on scutum, legs and coxae, and pattern of scutal punctation.