Haemaphysalis vasilisae Apanaskevich, 2025, sp. nov.

Haemaphysalis vasilisae sp. nov. Type-host: Sturnella magna (Linnaeus) (Passeriformes: Icteridae). Other hosts: Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus), Quiscalus sp., Sturnella sp. (Passeriformes: Icteridae), Ammodramus savannarum (Gmelin), Ammospiza maritima (Wilson), Passerculus sandwichensis (Gmelin), Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Linnaeus) (Passeriformes: Passerellidae), unspecified lark (Passeriformes), Circus hudsonius (Linnaeus) (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae). Type-locality: USA: Florida: Orange County, Christmas. Other localities: USA: Florida: Clay County, Penney Farms; Highlands County, Avon Park; Lee County, Bonita Springs; Wakulla County, Shell Point; South Carolina: Charleston County, 8 miles west of Charleston; Texas: Refugio County, Tivoli; Victoria County, Victoria; Willacy County, Raymondville. Type-material: Holotype male, from S. magna, Christmas (~ 28°31'N, 81°W), Orange County, Florida, USA, 29.xii.1936, B. V. Travis (BVT); deposited in the USNTC (USNMENT 01784543). Allotype female, with the same host and locality data as for holotype, 31.xii.1936, BVT; deposited in the USNTC (USNMENT 01784544). Paratypes: 30 males, 3 females, 19 nymphs and 84 larvae. USA: Florida: Clay County, Penney Farms (~ 29°58'N, 81°48'W): 4 males and 1 larva, from Sturnella sp., 30.xi.1937, H.M. Brundrett (HMB), USNMENT 01784545; same locality: 3 males, from Sturnella sp., 22.i.1938, HMB, USNMENT 01784546; same locality: 6 males, from Sturnella sp., 30.xi.1937, HMB, USNMENT 01784547; same locality: 4 males, from Sturnella sp., 26.x.1937, HMB, USNMENT 01784548; Highlands County, Avon Park (~ 27°35'N, 81°30'W): 1 nymph, from A. savannarum, 15.iii.1990, M. Delany, USNMENT 01784549; Lee County, Bonita Springs (~ 26°20'N, 81°47'W): 1 female and 12 larvae, from S. magna, 22.xi.1936, BVT, USNMENT 01784550; Orange County, Christmas: 1 male and 18 larvae, from S. magna, 31.xii.1936, BVT, USNMENT 01784551; same locality: 1 male and 1 larva, from S. magna, 1.i.1937, BVT, USNMENT 01784552; same locality: 1 male, from S. magna, 3.i.1937, BVT, USNMENT 01784553; same locality: 1 larva, from P. erythrophthalmus, 24.xi.1936, BVT, USNMENT 01784554; same locality: 2 larvae, from S. magna, 22.xi.1936, BVT, USNMENT 01784555; same locality: 6 males, 2 nymphs and 10 larvae, from S. magna, 29.xii.1936, BVT, USNMENT 01784556; Wakulla County, Shell Point (~ 27°52'N, 82°29'W): 1 nymph, from S. magna, 17.iv.1938, BVT, USNMENT 01784557; same locality: 2 males and 4 larvae, from S. magna, 9.xi.1936, BVT, USNMENT 01784558; same locality: 1 male and 7 larvae, from S. magna, 30.x.1936, BVT, USNMENT 01784559; same locality: 1 male and 5 nymphs, from S. magna, 17.iv.1938, BVT, USNMENT 01784560; same locality: 1 nymph, from A. maritima, 30.v.1935, USNMENT 01784561; South Carolina: Charleston County, 8 miles west of Charleston (~ 32°47'N, 80°12'W): 1 nymph, from P. sandwichensis, 27.iii.1933, USNMENT 01784562; same locality: 1 nymph, from P. sandwichensis, 27.iii.1933, USNMENT 01784563; Texas: Refugio County, Tivoli (~ 28°27'N, 96°53'W): 1 female, from Sturnella sp., 10.xi.1918, J.D. Mitchell (JDM), USNMENT 01784564; Victoria County (~ 28°48'N, 96°58'W): 1 nymph and 1 larva, from Sturnella sp., 27.i.1909, JDM, USNMENT 01784572; Victoria County, Victoria (~ 28°49'N, 96°59'W): 1 female and 1 nymph, from Sturnella sp., 30.xii.1908, JDM, USNMENT 01784565; same locality: 1 nymph and 18 larvae, from lark, 5.i.1909, JDM, USNMENT 01784566; same locality: 5 larvae, from lark, 10.xii.1908, JDM, USNMENT 01784567; same locality: 1 larva, from Quiscalus sp., 8.xii.1908, JDM, USNMENT 01784568; same locality: 1 nymph, from C. hudsonius, 6.i.1909, JDM, USNMENT 01784569; same locality: 3 larvae, from Sturnella sp., 5.i.1909, JDM, USNMENT 01784570; same locality: 1 nymph, from A. phoeniceus, 28.i.1909, JDM, USNMENT 01784571; Willacy County, Raymondville (~ 26°28'N, 97°46'W): 2 nymphs, from Sturnella sp., 20.iv.1937, Krupling, USNMENT 01784573. All paratypes are deposited in the USNTC. ZooBank registration: The Life Science Identifier (LSID) for Haemaphysalis vasilisae sp. nov. is urn:lsid: zoobank.org:act: C574ED33-0EE8-416A-9485-91A0AE04E5E4. Etymology: The species is named after Vasilisa Dmitrievna Apanaskevich, my precious daughter who shines as brightly as this tick species and who avidly supported this and all my other works on ticks. Description Male [Based on 31 specimens; Figs. 1A – 3.] Conscutum (Figs. 1A, 2A–C) length from scapular apices to posterior margin 2.30–2.75 (2.50 ± 0.10; n = 31), width 1.26–1.48 (1.35 ± 0.05; n = 31), ratio 1.77–2.00 (1.86 ± 0.06; n = 31), narrowly suboval, widest posterior to mid-length, nearly entirely covered with pearly enameling leaving punctations, grooves and sometimes pseudoscutual area brownish; scapulae short, blunt; cervical grooves faint, very shallow; lateral grooves deep, extending from level of leg II to first festoon, enclosing first, second and sometimes third festoon; eleven distinct festoons; punctations distinct, dense, uniform in distribution, relatively small and moderately deep; setae numerous, short (c. 0.01) and poorly distinct (Fig. 2A–C). Genital apron medial to coxae II with numerous moderately long denticles on posterior margin (Fig. 2D, E); postgenital sclerite (Fig. 2F) moderately long and broad, more than twice as broad as long, nearly semioval. Spiracular plates (Fig. 2G) length 0.40–0.52 (0.48 ± 0.03; n = 31), width 0.31–0.40 (0.35 ± 0.02; n = 31), ratio 1.18–1.54 (1.38 ± 0.06; n = 31); ratio length of spiracular plate to length of festoon I 2.68–3.70 (3.14 ± 0.27; n = 31), broadly suboval, with short and broad dorsal prolongation. Gnathosoma (Fig. 3A–C) length from palpal apices to cornual apices dorsally 0.46–0.54 (0.49 ± 0.02; n = 31), width of gnathosoma between lateral projection of palpal segments II dorsally 0.48–0.55 (0.52 ± 0.02; n = 31), ratio 0.89–1.04 (0.96 ± 0.04; n = 31). Dorsal basis capituli (Fig. 3A) length 0.20–0.24 (0.21 ± 0.01; n = 31), width 0.31– 0.35 (0.33 ± 0.01; n = 31), ratio width to length 1.44–1.67 (1.56 ± 0.07; n = 31); subrectangular with parallel lateral margins, posterior margin nearly straight; cornua moderately long, with narrowly rounded apex, directed slightly posteromedially, ratio total length of basis capituli, including cornua, to cornual length 4.17–6.38 (5.42 ± 0.59; n = 31). Ventral basis capituli (Fig. 3B, C) subrectangular; auriculae lacking. Palpi (Fig. 3A–D) short, length dorsally (segments II–III) 0.26–0.31 (0.28 ± 0.01; n = 31), width 0.22–0.26 (0.24 ± 0.01; n = 31), ratio 1.10–1.27 (1.18 ± 0.04; n = 31); broadly salient, ratio combined palpal width to basis capituli width 1.47–1.66 (1.57 ± 0.05; n = 31); segment I poorly distinct, narrow; dorsomedial margin of segment II abruptly widening anteriorly at its mid-length; posterolateral margin of segment II moderately steeply convergent posteromedially, very slightly convex dorsally and nearly straight ventrally; apices of lateral projections of palpal segment II directed anterolaterally; posterodorsal and posteroventral spurs on segment II lacking; numerous, moderately broad and densely denticulated ventromedial setae on palpal segment II; segment III dorsally subtriangular with broadly rounded apex; moderately long ventral spur of segment III nearly twice as long as broad, with narrowly rounded apex, directed posteromedially. Hypostome (Fig. 3B) short, broadly rounded at apex; dental formula usually 5/5 throughout entire hypostomal length or partially 4/4-5/5 or 4/4-4/5, rarely 4/4 throughout entire hypostomal length; with approximately 8 denticles in file. Legs moderately long, slender. Coxae (Fig. 3E, F): coxa I with moderately long and narrow internal spur with broadly rounded apex, directed posteriorly; coxae II and III each with short and moderately narrow spur, with broadly rounded apex, directed posteriorly; coxa IV with very long: slightly more than twice as long as broad, narrow internal spur, with tapering apex, directed slightly posteromedially; spur on coxa IV nearly 2.5–3 times longer than spur on coxa I, spur on coxa I nearly twice longer than spur on coxae II and III. Trochanter I (Fig. 3G) with long dorsal spur, with pointed apex; trochanters I–IV (Fig. 3E) without distinct spur ventrally. Female [Based on 4 specimens; Figs. 1B, 4, 5.] Idiosoma (Fig. 4A, E) of moderately engorged specimens broadly suboval, widest approximately at mid-length. Scutum (Figs. 1B, 4A–D) length 1.24–1.36 (1.29 ± 0.06; n = 4), width 1.00–1.10 (1.04 ± 0.04; n = 4), ratio 1.22–1.25 (1.24 ± 0.02; n = 4); narrowly suboval, diverging in anterior 1/4 and then gradually converging to broadly rounded and angular posterior margin; scutum nearly entirely or partially covered with pearly enameling, most distinct enamelling on central scutal field; cervical grooves distinct, narrow and moderately deep, extending slightly posterior to scutal mid-length; punctations distinct, moderately dense, uniform in distribution, moderately large and moderately deep; setae (Fig. 4A–D) numerous, short (c. 0.01), distributed as figured. Setae of alloscutum (Fig. 4A–D) numerous, evenly distributed, nearly as long as scutal setae (length of setae in center of alloscutum c.0.01). Genital aperture (Fig. 4E, F, G) medial to coxae II, broadly Ushaped, lateral margins convergent, genital sclerites indistinct, preatrial fold slightly concaved centrally. Spiracular plates (Fig. 5A) length 0.39–0.51 (0.46 ± 0.05; n = 4), width 0.35–0.43 (0.40 ± 0.04; n = 4), ratio 1.12–1.18 (1.15 ± 0.02; n = 4), broadly suboval, with short broad dorsal prolongation. Gnathosoma (Fig. 5B–D) length from palpal apices to cornual apices dorsally 0.60–0.65 (0.61 ± 0.02; n = 4), width of gnathosoma between lateral projection of palpal segments II dorsally 0.69–0.72 (0.70 ± 0.01; n = 4), ratio 0.85–0.89 (0.87 ± 0.02; n = 4). Dorsal basis capituli (Fig. 5B) length 0.21–0.23 (0.22 ± 0.01; n = 4), width 0.48–0.49 (0.49 ± 0.004; n = 4), ratio width to length 2.13–2.28 (2.20 ± 0.06; n =