''Dermacentor circumguttatus'' is a species of

hard tick The Ixodidae are the family of hard ticks or scale ticks, one of the three families of ticks, consisting of over 700 species. They are known as 'hard ticks' because they have a scutum or hard shield, which the other major family of ticks, the 'sof ...

belonging to the family

Ixodidae The Ixodidae are the family of hard ticks or scale ticks, one of the three families of ticks, consisting of over 700 species. They are known as 'hard ticks' because they have a scutum or hard shield, which the other major family of ticks, the 'sof ...

Description

''D. circumguttatus'' can reach a length of . Ornamentation of males consists of eight pale spots near the periphery of the scutum. Festoons and central areas are inornate. In the females, the colour pattern is limited to three patches, one posteriorly and one anterolaterally on each side. This African species has been found only on

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae an ...

s and on the grey duiker (''

Sylvicapra grimmia The common duiker (''Sylvicapra grimmia''), also known as the grey or bush duiker, is a small antelope and the monotypic taxon, only member of the genus ''Sylvicapra''. This species is found everywhere in Africa south of the Sahara, excluding the ...

''). The main hosts of these hard ticks are the African bush elephant (''

Loxodonta africana The African bush elephant (''Loxodonta africana'') is one of two extant African elephant species and one of three extant elephant species. It is the largest living terrestrial animal, with bulls reaching a shoulder height of up to and a body ...

'') and the African forest elephant (''

Loxodonta cyclotis The African forest elephant (''Loxodonta cyclotis'') is one of the two living African elephant species. It is native to humid forests in West Africa and the Congo Basin. It is the smallest of the three living elephant species, reaching a should ...

'').Biolib
/ref>

References

Ticks Arachnids of Africa Ixodidae Animals described in 1897 {{acari-stub