Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodida) in Sakar Mountains, SE Bulgaria Author Kolarova, Nevena Author Gradinarov, Denis Author Petrova, Yana National Genetic Laboratory, 2 Zdrave Str., 1431 Sofia, Bulgaria, e-mail: yanagradinarova @ abv. bg yanagradinarova@abv.bg text ZooNotes 2024 2024-01-31 2024 S 15 20 31 journal article 300920 10.5281/zenodo.13257667 1098ce5f-081f-49ab-bf8e-2f897165b5ca 1313-9916 13257667 Haemaphysalis punctata Canestrini & Fanzago, 1878 ( Fig. 6 ) Material examined: Sakar Mts , SW of Izvorovo Vill. , 41°57'11.9"N 26°07'56.2"E , 289 m a.s.l. , roadside grasslands with burrows of Spermophilus citellus (Linnaeus, 1766) ( Fig. 8 ), 08.v.2024 , 1 ♀ ( BFUS- ACR000018 ), on clothing, D. Gradinarov & Y. Petrova leg. Notes: Widely distributed species in Bulgaria , most common in the Southern Black Sea coast and the Upper Thracian plain regions ( Georgieva & Gecheva 2013 ). The species exhibits high ecological plasticity and is found in a variety of habitats ( Georgieva & Gecheva 2013 , Estrada-Peñа et al. 2017 ).