Description of all stages of a new tick species from California, Haemaphysalis vespertina (Acari: Ixodidae), with redescription of H. leporispalustris Packard, 1869 adults and phylogenetic relationships among related U.S. taxa

Andrea Egizi; Santiago Nava; Angie Nakano; Megan E.M. Saunders; Lauren P. Maestas; Autumn D. Angelus; Bruce Noden; Robyn M. Nadolny; Waheed I. Bajwa; Charles Lubelcyzk; Chanakya R. Bhosale; Susan Paskewitz; Holly D. Gaff; Lorenza Beati

doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5719.1.2

Description of all stages of a new tick species from California, Haemaphysalis vespertina (Acari: Ixodidae), with redescription of H. leporispalustris Packard, 1869 adults and phylogenetic relationships among related U.S. taxa

Andrea Egizi
, Santiago Nava
, Angie Nakano
, Megan E.M. Saunders
, Lauren P. Maestas
, Autumn D. Angelus
, Bruce Noden
, Robyn M. Nadolny
, Waheed I. Bajwa
, Charles Lubelcyzk
, Chanakya R. Bhosale
, Susan Paskewitz
, Holly D. Gaff
, Lorenza Beati

Biology

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division
National Agricultural Technology Institute
San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District
California Department of Health Services
United States Department of Agriculture
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Oklahoma State University
DHA Public Health
NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Maine Medical Center
University of Florida
Nova Southeastern University
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Old Dominion University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

All active stages of Haemaphysalis vespertina sp. nov. (Acari: Ixodidae), a tick previously identified as H. leporispalustris Packard, 1869, are described from specimens collected on the vegetation and from leporids in California and Oregon. The adults of H. leporispalustris Packard, 1969 are redescribed based on type material. Adults of the two species can be distinguished by their overall size, the dorsal shape of palpal segment II, the number and shape of dorsal and ventral setae on palpal segment II, the number of spurs on coxae II, the length of setae on scutum, legs and coxae, and the pattern of scutal punctations. Phylogenetic analyses support H. vespertina as a distinct taxonomic lineage. Additional unresolved lineages within H. leporispalustris s.l. were identified, suggesting a need for further taxonomic study of leporid-associated Haemaphysalis ticks in North America.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	49-72
Number of pages	24
Journal	Zootaxa
Volume	5719
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5719.1.2
State	Published - Nov 11 2025

Scopus Subject Areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Animal Science and Zoology

Keywords

Haemaphysalis
United States
new species
rabbit tick

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10.11646/zootaxa.5719.1.2

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Egizi, A., Nava, S., Nakano, A., Saunders, M. E. M., Maestas, L. P., Angelus, A. D., Noden, B., Nadolny, R. M., Bajwa, W. I., Lubelcyzk, C., Bhosale, C. R., Paskewitz, S., Gaff, H. D., & Beati, L. (2025). Description of all stages of a new tick species from California, Haemaphysalis vespertina (Acari: Ixodidae), with redescription of H. leporispalustris Packard, 1869 adults and phylogenetic relationships among related U.S. taxa. Zootaxa, 5719(1), 49-72. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5719.1.2

@article{c8dca3f66f9b4d3b99a4fba3209399f1,

title = "Description of all stages of a new tick species from California, Haemaphysalis vespertina (Acari: Ixodidae), with redescription of H. leporispalustris Packard, 1869 adults and phylogenetic relationships among related U.S. taxa",

abstract = "All active stages of Haemaphysalis vespertina sp. nov. (Acari: Ixodidae), a tick previously identified as H. leporispalustris Packard, 1869, are described from specimens collected on the vegetation and from leporids in California and Oregon. The adults of H. leporispalustris Packard, 1969 are redescribed based on type material. Adults of the two species can be distinguished by their overall size, the dorsal shape of palpal segment II, the number and shape of dorsal and ventral setae on palpal segment II, the number of spurs on coxae II, the length of setae on scutum, legs and coxae, and the pattern of scutal punctations. Phylogenetic analyses support H. vespertina as a distinct taxonomic lineage. Additional unresolved lineages within H. leporispalustris s.l. were identified, suggesting a need for further taxonomic study of leporid-associated Haemaphysalis ticks in North America.",

keywords = "Haemaphysalis, United States, new species, rabbit tick",

author = "Andrea Egizi and Santiago Nava and Angie Nakano and Saunders, \{Megan E.M.\} and Maestas, \{Lauren P.\} and Angelus, \{Autumn D.\} and Bruce Noden and Nadolny, \{Robyn M.\} and Bajwa, \{Waheed I.\} and Charles Lubelcyzk and Bhosale, \{Chanakya R.\} and Susan Paskewitz and Gaff, \{Holly D.\} and Lorenza Beati",

note = "Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2025 Magnolia Press",

year = "2025",

month = nov,

day = "11",

doi = "10.11646/zootaxa.5719.1.2",

language = "English",

volume = "5719",

pages = "49--72",

journal = "Zootaxa",

issn = "1175-5326",

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Egizi, A, Nava, S, Nakano, A, Saunders, MEM, Maestas, LP, Angelus, AD, Noden, B, Nadolny, RM, Bajwa, WI, Lubelcyzk, C, Bhosale, CR, Paskewitz, S, Gaff, HD & Beati, L 2025, 'Description of all stages of a new tick species from California, Haemaphysalis vespertina (Acari: Ixodidae), with redescription of H. leporispalustris Packard, 1869 adults and phylogenetic relationships among related U.S. taxa', Zootaxa, vol. 5719, no. 1, pp. 49-72. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5719.1.2

Description of all stages of a new tick species from California, Haemaphysalis vespertina (Acari: Ixodidae), with redescription of H. leporispalustris Packard, 1869 adults and phylogenetic relationships among related U.S. taxa. / Egizi, Andrea; Nava, Santiago; Nakano, Angie et al.
In: Zootaxa, Vol. 5719, No. 1, 11.11.2025, p. 49-72.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Description of all stages of a new tick species from California, Haemaphysalis vespertina (Acari: Ixodidae), with redescription of H. leporispalustris Packard, 1869 adults and phylogenetic relationships among related U.S. taxa

AU - Egizi, Andrea

AU - Nava, Santiago

AU - Nakano, Angie

AU - Saunders, Megan E.M.

AU - Maestas, Lauren P.

AU - Angelus, Autumn D.

AU - Noden, Bruce

AU - Nadolny, Robyn M.

AU - Bajwa, Waheed I.

AU - Lubelcyzk, Charles

AU - Bhosale, Chanakya R.

AU - Paskewitz, Susan

AU - Gaff, Holly D.

AU - Beati, Lorenza

PY - 2025/11/11

Y1 - 2025/11/11

N2 - All active stages of Haemaphysalis vespertina sp. nov. (Acari: Ixodidae), a tick previously identified as H. leporispalustris Packard, 1869, are described from specimens collected on the vegetation and from leporids in California and Oregon. The adults of H. leporispalustris Packard, 1969 are redescribed based on type material. Adults of the two species can be distinguished by their overall size, the dorsal shape of palpal segment II, the number and shape of dorsal and ventral setae on palpal segment II, the number of spurs on coxae II, the length of setae on scutum, legs and coxae, and the pattern of scutal punctations. Phylogenetic analyses support H. vespertina as a distinct taxonomic lineage. Additional unresolved lineages within H. leporispalustris s.l. were identified, suggesting a need for further taxonomic study of leporid-associated Haemaphysalis ticks in North America.

AB - All active stages of Haemaphysalis vespertina sp. nov. (Acari: Ixodidae), a tick previously identified as H. leporispalustris Packard, 1869, are described from specimens collected on the vegetation and from leporids in California and Oregon. The adults of H. leporispalustris Packard, 1969 are redescribed based on type material. Adults of the two species can be distinguished by their overall size, the dorsal shape of palpal segment II, the number and shape of dorsal and ventral setae on palpal segment II, the number of spurs on coxae II, the length of setae on scutum, legs and coxae, and the pattern of scutal punctations. Phylogenetic analyses support H. vespertina as a distinct taxonomic lineage. Additional unresolved lineages within H. leporispalustris s.l. were identified, suggesting a need for further taxonomic study of leporid-associated Haemaphysalis ticks in North America.

KW - Haemaphysalis

KW - United States

KW - new species

KW - rabbit tick

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105022267166

U2 - 10.11646/zootaxa.5719.1.2

DO - 10.11646/zootaxa.5719.1.2

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105022267166

SN - 1175-5326

VL - 5719

SP - 49

EP - 72

JO - Zootaxa

JF - Zootaxa

IS - 1

ER -

Description of all stages of a new tick species from California, Haemaphysalis vespertina (Acari: Ixodidae), with redescription of H. leporispalustris Packard, 1869 adults and phylogenetic relationships among related U.S. taxa

Abstract

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Keywords

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