[Scanning electron microscopy study for an analytical key to the Hyalomminae (Ixodidae) species to be found in Italy].

Identification of ticks of Hyalomminae subfamily is easy for the species of subgenus Hyalommasta Schulze (coxa l with two equal, stump and short, well separated spurs) and for those of the subgenera Hyalommina Schulze and Delpyella Santos Dias (basis capituli with lateral margins anteriorly divergent). All the species of subgenus Hyalomma Koch have the coxa I deeply divided in adjacent narrow external spur and wider internal spur, and the basis capituli rectangular, with parallel or subparallel lateral margins. The considerable intraspecific variation in the aforesaid subgenus practically reduces the diagnostic characters to the aspect of dorsal scuta and genital areas in the females and to those of same dorsal scuta in addition to adanals and subanals scuta in the males. In order to avoid further mistakes in the recognition of five species which are present in Italy too, viz. Hyalomma (hyalommasta) aegyptium, Hyalomma (Hyalomma) lusitanicum, H. (H.) detritum, H. (H.) excavatum and H. (H.) marginatum, some specific characters of adult forms were pointed out by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) photos (for the males) and of semischematic figures (for the females), and utilized for a key to the above species.