Amblyomma sparsum Neumann, 1899

Guglielmone, Alberto A., Nava, Santiago & Robbins, Richard G., 2023, Geographic distribution of the hard ticks (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae) of the world by countries and territories, Zootaxa 5251 (1), pp. 1-274 : 62

114. Amblyomma sparsum Neumann, 1899 .

Afrotropical: 1) Angola, 2) Burundi, 3) Chad (south), 4) Democratic Republic of the Congo, 5) Eritrea, 6) Ethiopia, 7) Kenya, 8) Malawi, 9) Mozambique, 10) Namibia, 11) Rwanda, 12) Senegal, 13) Somalia, 14) South Sudan, 15) Tanzania, 16) Uganda, 17) Yemen, 18) Zambia, 19) Zimbabwe ( Theiler & Salisbury 1959, Theiler 1962, Morel & Graber 1961, Elbl & Anastos 1966 a, Yeoman & Walker 1967, Walker 1974, Pegram 1976, Norval 1983, Keirans 1985 b, Matthysse & Colbo 1987, Walker & Olwage 1987, Tandon 1991, Morel 2003, Kolonin 2009).

The geographic distribution of Amblyomma sparsum is rather confusing and its presence in several countries should be regarded as provisional. This tick belongs to the Amblyomma marmoreum complex, which is considered by Guglielmone et al. (2017) to probably contain more species than currently recognized. Some published specimens of Amblyomma sparsum may have been confused with Amblyomma marmoreum , Amblyomma nuttalli or Amblyomma falsomarmoreum , and vice versa. Morel (2003) reported more than ten different names used for Amblyomma sparsum , and Guglielmone & Nava (2014) listed seven synonyms for this species.

B ö hme et al. (1989) reported the presence of Amblyomma sparsum in Yemen, and Wassef et al. (1997) supported this decision; therefore, that country is provisionally considered within the range of this tick. ElGhali & Hassan (2012) do not recognize the presence of Amblyomma sparsum in South Sudan, but Theiler & Salisbury (1959) and Morel (2003) recorded this tick in localities that are currently within South Sudan. Theiler (1962) believed that specimens collected in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia and identified as Amblyomma sparsum were, in fact, Amblyomma falsomarmoreum , and these countries are provisionally included within the range of Amblyomma sparsum .

Theiler (1962) stated that specimens of Amblyomma sparsum collected in Sudan (Khartoum) had been introduced, and that country is excluded from this tick’s range. Walker & Olwage (1987) depicted a record of Amblyomma sparsum that appears to be located in Gambia, but this is not addressed in the text of their paper. We do not include Gambia within the geographic distribution of Amblyomma sparsum . Burridge (2011) included South Africa within the range of Amblyomma sparsum , but Horak et al. (2018) stated that there are no bona fide South African records of this tick, while regarding its presence in Namibia as “historical.” Burridge (2011) also included Cameroon within the range of Amblyomma sparsum , although its presence there is questionable, as discussed in Morel (2003). Here, both South Africa and Cameroon are excluded from this species’ range. Uilenberg et al. (2013) considered the presence of Amblyomma sparsum in the Central African Republic to be unconfirmed.

The peculiar host utilization of adults of Amblyomma sparsum (large mammals and tortoises), and the disjunct distribution of this species were thought by Matthysse & Colbo (1987) to be indications that more than one species may exist under this name. See also Amblyomma marmoreum .