Hyalomma

Hyalomma is a genus of hard-bodied ticks common in Asia, Europe, and North Africa. They are also found in Southern Africa. The name is derived from Greek: Hyalos (ὕαλος) crystal, glass; and omma (oμμα) eye.

Hyalomma
Hyalomma marginatum specimen in alcohol
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Ixodida
Family:	Ixodidae
Genus:	Hyalomma Koch, 1844
Species
28, see text

The genus is believed to have originated in Iran or Central Asia, and then spread further into Asia, including the Middle East, and to southern Europe and Africa.^[1]

Hyalomma are larger in size and do not have protective shields (indistinct festoons), but have eyes and banded legs. Hyalomma species are difficult to identify due to their hybridization and genetic and morphological variations, caused by harsh environmental conditions and lack of food sources. With few hosts available, they are required to be active as soon as a potential host is sensed.

Adult Hyalomma can bite humans and transmit serious pathogens. Immature (nymph) Hyalomma usually feed on birds, rodents, and hares and can be the cause of viral disease and rickettsias. Nymphs are often transmitted from one place to another by migrating birds. For example, a migrating bird carrying a Hyalomma marginatum nymph can cause Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.^[1] Hyalomma species can also transmit rickettsias like Siberian tick typhus, Boutonneuse fever, and Q-fever.^[1]

Species

As of 2025, there are 28 species described as Hyalomma:^[2]

• Hyalomma aegyptium Linnaeus, 1758
• Hyalomma albiparmatum Schulze, 1919 ^[a]
• Hyalomma anatolicum Koch, 1844^[3]
• Hyalomma arabica Pegram, Hoogstraal & Wassef, 1982
• Hyalomma asiaticum Schulze and Schlottke, 1929
• Hyalomma brevipunctatum Sharif, 1928
• Hyalomma dromedarii Koch, 1844
• Hyalomma erythraeum Tonelli-Rondelli, 1932
• Hyalomma excavatum Koch, 1844 ^[b]
• Hyalomma franchinii Tonelli-Rondelli, 1932
• Hyalomma glabrum Delpy, 1949
• Hyalomma hussaini Sharif, 1928
• Hyalomma hystricis Dhanda & Raja, 1974
• Hyalomma impeltatum Schulze & Schlottke, 1930
• Hyalomma impressum Koch, 1844
• Hyalomma isaaci Sharif, 1928
• Hyalomma kumari Sharif, 1928
• Hyalomma lusitanicum Koch, 1844
• Hyalomma marginatum Koch, 1844
• Hyalomma nitidum Schulze, 1919
• Hyalomma punt Hoogstraal, Kaiser & Pedersen, 1969
• Hyalomma rhipicephaloides Neumann, 1901
• Hyalomma rufipes Koch, 1844
• Hyalomma schulzei Olenev, 1931
• Hyalomma scupense Schulze, 1919^[4]
• Hyalomma somalicum Tonelli-Rondelli, 1935
• Hyalomma truncatum Koch, 1844
• Hyalomma turanicum Pomerantsev, 1946

Notes

1. H. albiparmatum is poorly differentiated from H. nitidum and H. truncatum, and may be a synonym of the latter.
2. Often regarded as a subspecies of H. anatolicum. Currently considered distinct as per Guglielmone et al. (2020)