DESCRIPTION OF THE LARVA, DIAGNOSIS OF THE NYMPH AND FEMALE BASED ON SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY, HOSTS, AND DISTRIBUTION OF IXODES (IXODES) VENEZUELENSIS

The larva, nymph, and female of Ixodes (Ixodes) venezuelensis are diag nosed using scanning electron microscopy, and the larva is described f or the first time. This ixodid tick is recorded from the northern neot ropics as a parasite of five species of didelphid marsupials and eight een species of rodents (one sciurid, two heteromyids, eleven murids, t wo dasyproctids, and two echimyids). Collection records of I. venezuel ensis are presented for Costa Pica, Colombia, Panama and Venezuela, wi th the Costa Rican records being new and extending the known range of this tick by at least 300 km. Altitudinally, I. venezuelensis has been collected between elevations of 24 and 2410 m with most collections b etween 100 and 800 m. The possibility that I. venezuelensis may be par thenogenetic is discussed.