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2 A SYSTEMATIC REVISION OF THE GENUS LAELAPS S . STR . ( ACARI : MESOS riGMATA ) OF THE ETHIOPIAN REGION
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Herrin, C. Selby Tipton, Vernon J. |
| Copyright Year | 2018 |
| Abstract | — This paper presents the results of a systematic study of mites of the genus Laelaps s. str. collected from small mammals of the Ethiopian region. Specimens taken from approximately 100.000 small mannnals were examined from a wide variety of habitats and localities. The Ethiopian fauna of Laelaps mites includes 31 species. 4 of wliich are described as new: L. parasimillimus, L. tnyomys. L. malacomys. and L. aconiys. A rmmerical taxonomic analysis was made, the results of which were used in the preparation of a proposed classification of the African species of Laelaps. A key for identification of females is given, and females and males (where known) of all species are illustrated. Diagnostic characters are given for the female and male of each species. Collection data and, where pertinent, discussions of morphological characters and variability are i)rovided. Also included are discussions of host-parasite associations. The objective of this paper is to present a systematic revision of the genus Laelaps s. str. (i.e., not inckiding species of Echinolaclaps Ewing) of the Ethiopian region. There has been no recent pubHcation which presents a sufficiently comprehensive taxonomic review of this group of mites in Africa. Because of the great similarity as well as diversity among the Laelaps species in Africa, there has been a definite need for a complete, comprehensive revision of this group of mites. This need is increased by the great diversity of Laelaps taxa found in the collections from the Smithsonian African Ectoparasite Project. Several scientists have contributed greatly to the knowledge of parasitic Laelaps mites of the Ethiopian region. Stanley Hirst (1912 to 1925) described as new seven species of African Laelaps, which were included in Bedford's (1932, 1936) checklists of ectoparasites of Ethiopian vertebrates. During the years between 1937 and 1954 Charles Radford published several papers dealing wdth new species and new host and collection records. In the 1950s and 1960s additional contributions were made by Drs. F. Zumpt, R. Taufflieb, H. L. Keegan, and M. Lavoipierre. They were responsible for the description of 21 Laelaps species and the publication of many new host and locality records. Tipton (1960) treated the genus Laelaps worldwide; however, 11 of the 32 species now known from Africa were described after this work. In his book Arthropod Parasites of Vertebrates in Africa South of the Sahara, Zumpt (1961) listed 22 species. The only keys to the identification of African species of the genus were those of Tipton (1960) and Taufflieb (1959). The concept of the genus Laelaps followed in this paper is basically that of Tipton (1960). That is, we do not feel that Laelaps and Echinolaelaps should be grouped together without at least separate subgeneric status for each. Thus, this paper deals only with Laelaps s. str. (subgenus Laelaps) as recognized by Tipton (1960) and does not include Echinolaelaps. The dorsal chaetotaxy signatures followed in this paper are those of Hirschmann (1957), and the morphological terminologv is basicallv that of Evans and Till (1965). Following the discussion of taxonomy and classification analyses and the identification key to females, each species is ^Supported by the Smithsonian-African Ectoparasite Project through contract (DADA 17-73-C-3042) of the Medical Research and Development Command, Office of the Surgeon General, U.S. Army. -Center for Health iind Environmental Studies. Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1867&context=gbn&httpsredir=1&referer= |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
