Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini, 1888)

Distribution

This tick has been reported from Sindh, KP, Balochistan, Punjab, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (McCarthy 1967; Siddiqi & Jan 1986; Karim et al. 2017; Rehman et al. 2017; Zeb et al. 2019, 2022; Ali et al. 2019, 2021–22a, 2023b, c; Nasreen et al. 2020; Kasi et al. 2020; Ghafar et al. 2020b; Kamran et al. 2021; Khan Z. et al. 2022, 2024; Alam et al. 2022; Hussain et al. 2023; Aneela et al. 2023; Tila et al. 2023; Shehla et al. 2023; Khan M et al. 2023).

Morphological characters

Male (Fig. 39, A–D): Body small and elongate, approximately 1.98± 0.1 mm long and 1.00± 0.07 mm wide, yellowish to dark brown in colour; conscutum narrow and covered with long setae, scapulae robust and pointed, with subtriangular ends, cervical grooves shallow and broad, posteromedian groove deep and extending one-third length of conscutum, paramedian grooves short, festoons absent, short caudal appendage present; eyes inconspicuous; capitulum very short, basis capituli subhexagonal, posterior margin straight, with short, blunt, triangular cornua, palpi and hypostome nearly equal in length, hypostomal dental formula 4/4; legs moderately long and pale in colour, with dense setae; coxa I with two equal spurs, internal spur blunt, external spur pointed and cylindrical, coxae II–III with rounded internal and external spurs, coxa IV lacking prominent spurs; adanal plates long, terminating posteriorly in a single sharp point, accessory plates long, also terminating posteriorly in a single point; genital aperture cordiform, situated between and slightly anterior to coxae II; spiracular plates broadly oval to subcircular.

Female (Fig. 39, E–H): Body approximately 2.43± 0.1 mm long and 1.26± 0.08 mm wide; scutum elongate oval, narrowing posteriorly, longer than wide, posterolateral margins straight or mildly sinuous, cervical grooves broad and shallow, scutum densely covered by long setae; eyes flat and yellowish in colour; capitulum short, basis capituli subhexagonal, with slightly convex posterior margin and weakly developed cornua, porose areas moderate in size, oval, and separated by less than their width, palpi and hypostome short, as in male, hypostomal dental formula 4/4; legs medium-sized and pale in colour, with numerous setae, coxa I with distinct broadly rounded spurs, external spur more prominent and wider than internal spur, coxae II and III with rounded external spurs, coxa IV with less developed external spur; genital aperture situated between coxae II, posterior lip of genital aperture broadly U-shaped; spiracular plates broadly oval to subcircular, dorsal prolongation short.