Rhipicephalus turanicus Pomerantsev, 1936

Kolarova, Nevena, Gradinarov, Denis & Petrova, Yana, 2024, Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodida) in Sakar Mountains, SE Bulgaria, ZooNotes 2024 (S 15), pp. 20-31 : 25

Rhipicephalus turanicus Pomerantsev, 1936 ( Fig. 10 )

Material examined: Sakar Mts, W of Levka Vill., approx. 41°52'16.09"N 26°12'46.46"E, 17.v.2016, roadside xerophilic grasslands, 1 ♂ ( BFUS- ACR000020 ), D. Gradinarov & Y. Petrova leg. ; Sakar Mts , NE of Balgarska Polyana Vill., 42°02'25.2"N 26°12'32.2"E, 431 m a.s.l., xerophilic grasslands ( Fig. 3 ), 21.vii.2021, 2 ♀♀ ( BFUS-ACR 000021 , BFUS-ACR000022 ), on the ground, D. Gradinarov leg. ; Sakar Mts , NE of Izvorovo Vill., 41°59'04.6"N 26°09'52.4"E, 490 m a.s.l., meadows near a roadside water fountain ( Fig. 9 ), 08.v.2024, 1 ♀ ( BFUS- ACR000023 ), on clothing, D. Gradinarov leg. ; Sakar Mts , SW of Izvorovo Vill., 41°57'11.9"N 26°07'56.2"E, 289 m a.s.l., roadside grasslands with burrows of S. citellus ( Fig. 8 ), 08.v.2024, 1 ♀ ( BFUS- ACR000024 ), on clothing, D. Gradinarov & Y. Petrova leg. ; Sakar Mts , SE of Kolarovo Vill., 41°56'17.3"N 26°05'45.2"E, 203 m a.s.l., grasslands near an artificial pond ( Fig. 13 ), 11.v.2024, 1 ♂ ( BFUS- ACR000025 ), net sweeping, D. Gradinarov leg. ; Sakar Mts , SW of Pomoshtnik Village, 42°02'29.8"N 26°02'15.9"E, 274 m a.s.l., grasslands near wheat field, 11.v.2024, on clothing, 3 ♂♂ ( BFUS-ACR 000026 , BFUS-ACR000027 , BFUS-ACR000028 ), 1 ♀ ( BFUS- ACR000029 ), D. Gradinarov & Y. Petrova leg. ; the same data, 1 ♂ ( BFUS- ACR000030 ), net sweeping, D. Gradinarov leg.

Notes: In Bulgaria R. turanicus is known from several localities in the southeast part of the country ( Mincheva et al. 1965, Georgieva & Gecheva 2013, Arnaudov & Georgiev 2022). The widespread up to 1000 m a.s.l. in Bulgaria species R. bursa ( Georgieva & Gecheva 2013) , has not been found during the present study. Rhipicephalus turanicus is typical for regions with hot and dry climate (e.g. deserts, semi-deserts, steppes and open woodlands) ( Georgieva & Gecheva 2013, Guglielmone et al. 2014b) and thus, its presence in the Sakar Mts is not surprising. It seems that in areas with favourable ecological conditions, R. turanicus can substitute R. bursa . Such substitution was noticed by Mincheva et al. (1965) for the flattest part of the Stara Zagora Plain, and now we observed the same phenomenon in the studied habitats of Sakar Mts.

Figures

Fig. 10. Male of Rhipicephalus turanicus, Sakar Mts, SW of Pomoshtnik Village, 11.v.2024. A – dorsal view; B – ventral view. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Fig. 3. Sakar Mts, NE of Balgarska Polyana Village, 12.v.2024. Habitats of Ixodes ricinus, Rhipicephalus turanicus and Hyalomma marginatum.

Fig. 9. Sakar Mts, NE of Izvorovo Village, 08.v.2024. Habitat of Rhipicephalus turanicus.

Fig. 8. Sakar Mts, SW of Izvorovo Village, 08.v.2024. Habitat of Haemaphysalis punctata and Rhipicephalus turanicus.

Fig. 13. Sakar Mts, SE of Kolarovo Village, 11.v.2024. Habitat of Rhipicephalus turanicus.