Dermacentor parumapertus Neumann (Acari: Ixodidae), a tick primarily associated with rabbits which occurs over much of the western United States, has a fairly large north-to-south distribution, being found from central Idaho southward into northern Mexico. This mostly obscure tick species has recently been the focus of attention due to the discovery of a unique strain of Rickettsia parkeri associated with it which appears closely related to a Rickettsia sp. found in the Atlantic rainforest of Brazil. Historically, a morphological variety of this species was reported in the literature based on significant variation in ornamentation of the tick throughout its range. This study examines several key morphological characters to determine if there are indeed more than one distinct population of this species throughout its range.

Department of Biochemistry Molecular Biology Entomology and Plant Pathology Mississippi State University Mississippi State MS

Institute of Entomology Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences Branišovská Ceské Budejovice Czech Republic

Institute of Entomology Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences Branišovská České Budĕjovice Czech Republic

Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta GA

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Black Gap Wildlife Management Area Alpine TX

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Springville UT

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