Haemaphysalis mageshimaensis Saito and Hoogstraal, 1973

Petney, Trevor N., Boulanger, Nathalie, Saijuntha, Weerachai, Chitimia-Dobler, Lidia, Pfeffer, Martin, Eamudomkarn, Chatanun, Andrews, Ross H., Ahamad, Mariana, Putthasorn, Noppadon, Muders, Senta V., Petney, David A. & Robbins, Richard G., 2019, Ticks (Argasidae, Ixodidae) and tick-borne diseases of continental Southeast Asia, Zootaxa 4558 (1), pp. 1-89 : 27

Haemaphysalis mageshimaensis Saito and Hoogstraal, 1973

This is predominantly an East Asian species, found in China, Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, with specimens also recorded from Vietnam ( Phan Trong 1977, as Ha. bamunensis ; Hoogstraal and Santana 1974; Teng and Jiang 1991; Kolonin 1995). It was first described from Mage Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, from vegetation and a single female from a cow (Saito and Hoogstraal 1973). It has since been recorded from various mammal families ( Bovidae , Canidae , Cervidae , Felidae , Suidae , Viverridae ), with larvae also found on Muridae and passerine birds ( Hoogstraal and Santana 1974; Yin and Luo 2007; Kolonin 2009). Reproduction seems to be both sexual (males have been described) and parthenogenetic (Saito and Hoogstraal 1971). These authors also provide information on the life cycle of this species.

Interestingly, Tsunoda and Tatsuzawa (2004) found that the questing height of this species (and Ha. longicornis ) was related to the height of their sika deer ( Cervus nippon ) hosts, which varies between areas in Japan, as well as the height of the local vegetation.

All stages are described in Saito and Hoogstraal (1973).