Nuttalliella

Nuttalliella namaqua is a tick found in southern Africa from Tanzania to Namibia and South Africa, which is placed in its own family, Nuttalliellidae. It can be distinguished from ixodid ticks and argasid ticks by a combination of characteristics including the position of the stigmata, lack of setae, strongly corrugated integument, and form of the fenestrated plates. It is the most basal lineage of ticks.

History

Discovery and Specimens

The first description by G.A.H. Bedford in 1931 was based upon a single female collected under a stone at Kamieskroon, in Little Namaqualand, by Dr R.F. Lawrence in October 1930. As of 1980, only eighteen specimens had been collected. In a 2011 study, that number was increased to fifty one total specimens. They were collected in three locations in South Africa including two new sites: Springbok, Graaff-Reinet, and Heuningvleipan.

Distribution

Nuttalliella namaqua has been observed in Tanzania, Namibia and South Africa. Localities of collection include coastal(west and south) and inland sites(north). The Namibia specimens were collected from museum mammal skins in Kobos. The biomes represented by these locations are: mixed tree and shrub savannah, Nama Karoo and succulent Karoo. This current geographic range probably resembles the historic range of N. namaqua as the area's climate has remained relatively unchanged since the Permian extinction event when it became semiarid.