Acarologia (2005) 45, 3-12

Sobhy Abdel-Shafy (2005)
Scanning electron microscopy and comparative morphology of argasid larvae (Acari: Ixodida: Argasidae) infesting birds in Egypt
Acarologia 45 (1), 3-12
Abstract: The differentiation between Argas larvae; A. persicus, A. arboreus and A. hermanni infesting birds in Egypt was studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy and morphometric analysis. Results show that larval A. persicus, A. arboreus and A. hermanni carry 26, 27 or 28, and 23 pairs of dorsal setae, respectively. A. arboreus differs from A. persicus by the presence of two pairs of additional median setae. A. hermanni differs by the presence of an additional pair of dorsolateral setae and absent of anterosubmedian setae. Body setae of A. arboreus and A. hermanni are longer than in A. persicus. Length and width of body were equal in A. persicus and A. arboreus but smaller in A. hermanni. Dorsal plate displayed very distinct bulging cells in A. hermanni, shallow cells in A. arboreus and slightly bulging wrinkles in A. persicus. This plate is longest in A. hermanni compared to others. Dental formulae of hypostome were 3/3, 3/3, and 4/4 in A. persicus, A. arboreus and A. hermanni, respectively. The numbers of denticles were 7/6/2, 8/8/3 and 10/9/3/2 in A. persicus, A. arboreus and A. hermanni, respectively. The corona of hypostome was bluntly rounded in A. persicus, slightly rounded in A. arboreus and distinctly rounded in A. hermanni. Hypostomal length of A. hermanni and A. arboreus were equal and larger than that of A. persicus. Palps were the longest in A. arboreus followed by A. persicus and A. hermanni. Chaetotaxy of palps was similar in all three species. Distances between posthypostomal setae (Ph1 and Ph2) were longer in A. persicus and A. arboreus than in A. hermanni.
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Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
identification/taxonomy
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Argas persicus		Egypt
	Argas hermanni		Egypt