Two New Species of Ixodid Ticks (Acarina: Ixodida) from Kerala, India

Considering the lacunae of knowledge on the tick fauna of Kerala, South India, a three year study was carried out to understand the species diversity, distribution pattern and systematic details of the ixodid ticks infesting our domestic animals. Attention was also focussed on the damage symptoms induced by individual tick species to respective host animals including man. During the study period, 3758 host animals representing 12 species and 12 genera were examined for the presence of ticks. Results of the taxonomic analysis revealed a total of 19 species including 2 subspecies belonging to 6 genera and one subgenus of the family Ixodidae. Of these, 2 new species viz., Haemophysalis knobigera and Nosomma keralensis infesting buffalo are described here with detailed illustrations. The unique features of H. knobigera include the presence of a small knob like spur on coax-I, cornua less than the size of basis capitulum and ventral palpal spur reaching near to mid length of palpal segment 2. The specific characters of N.keralensis include features like less ornamented and more stout body and spurs on coxa I equal in length.