New Records of Ticks from the Lesser Antilles

This study is based primarily on ticks collected by Dr. P. WAGENAAR HUMMELINCK (Zoölogisch Laboratorium, Utrecht) and associates. A few additional collections were received from Dr. K. E. HYLAND (University of Rhode Island), and from Dr. R. L. WENZEL (Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago). THOMPSON (1950), MOREL (1966, 1967) and MOREL & FAURAN (1967) recorded a total of 10 species in 6 genera for the Lesser Antilles. Thirteen species in 4 of these genera, and 2 additional genera, were found in the collections on which the present study is based. Six of the species are reported for the Lesser Antilles for the first time. Several new island records are included and ticks are recorded for the first time from Îles des Saintes, Aves (west of Dominica), Carriacou, Los Testigos, Los Frailes, Margarita, Los Hermanos, Bonaire, Curaçao and Aruba. As for Curaçao, NEUMANN’S (1897) report of the occurrence there of Rhipicephalus bursa has not been confirmed and it may have been based on an importation.