New species of Rhipicephalus (Acari: Ixodidae), a parasite of red river hogs and domestic pigs in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

A new tick species belonging to the genus Rhipicephalus Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae), namely, Rhipicephalus congolensis n. sp., is described. Males and females of this species are similar to those of Rhipicephalus complanatus Neumann, 1911 and Rhipicephalus planus Neumann, 1907, but it can be distinguished from them by a pattern of dense medium-sized punctations on the conscutum and scutum. Males of R. congolensis may be distinguished by the following characters: posterior half of the marginal groove deep with a sharp outer edge; anterior portion of the groove shallow with rounded edges; posteromedian groove distinct, long, and deep; adanal plates broadly sickle-shaped; bluntly pointed posteromedian spur on coxa I; and posterolateral spur on coxa I slightly longer or subequal to posteromedian spur. Females of R. congolensis may be distinguished by the following characters: outer edge of cervical grooves smooth and not clearly deÞned either by slope or punctations; genital aperture broad, bowl-shaped, and tripartite in appearance, with central ßap ßanked on either side by an oval depression; and posteromedian spur on coxa I tapering to its apex. R. congolensis isknownonly from the Democratic Republic of Congo,wherethe adultswerecollected from red river hogs, Potamochoerus porcus (L.), and domestic pigs, Sus scrofa (L.), within the dense equatorial forest in the districts of Equateur and Tshuapa, in the province of Equateur.