''Margaropus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

tick Ticks are parasitic arachnids of the order Ixodida. They are part of the mite superorder Parasitiformes. Adult ticks are approximately 3 to 5 mm in length depending on age, sex, and species, but can become larger when engorged. Ticks a ...

s, characterized as inornate, having eyes, lacking festoons, and with the legs of the male increasing in size from pair I to IV with the segments enlarged, giving them a beaded appearance, from which the genus name was taken, ''margaritopus'' signifying beady-legged; the species name memorialized

naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

and

entomologist Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...

Wilhelm von Winthem. The

currently includes three

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

: *'' Margaropus reidi'', Hoogstraal, 1956, the Sudanese beady-legged tick H. Hoogstraal. 1956. African Ixodoidea. I. Ticks of the Sudan (with special reference to Equatoria Province and with preliminary reviews of the genera ''Boophilus'', ''Margaropus'' and ''Hyalomma''). Research Report NM 005050.29.07, Department of the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Washington D.C. 1101 pp. *'' Margaropus wileyi'',

Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People *Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) *Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California * ...

& Laurence, 1973, the East African giraffe tick Jane B. Walker and B. R. Laurence. 1973. ''Margaropus wileyi'' sp. nov. (Ixodoidea: Ixodidae), a New Species of Tick from the Reticulated Giraffe. ''Onderstpoort Journal of Veterinary Research'', 40(1):13-22; https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/53664/3walker1973.pdf?sequence=1, accessed June 30, 2018. *'' Margaropus winthemi'', Karsch, 1879, the South African winter horse tick or beady-legged tick

Ferdinand Karsch Ferdinand Anton Franz Karsch (2 September 1853, in Münster – 20 December 1936, in Berlin) was a German arachnologist, entomologist and anthropologist. He also wrote on human and animal sexual diversity with his mother's maiden name included a ...

. 1879. Zwei neue Arachniden des Berliner Museums. ''Mittheilungen des Münchener Entomologischen Verein'', 3:95-96. In their native range, ''Margaropus'' species ticks parasitize larger land animals, including the three largest southern African wild

ruminant Ruminants are herbivorous grazing or browsing artiodactyls belonging to the suborder Ruminantia that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally through microb ...

giraffes The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa.'' It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. It is classified under the family Giraffidae, along with its closest extant re ...

, ''

Giraffa camelopardalis The northern giraffe (''Giraffa camelopardalis''), also known as three-horned giraffe, is the type species of giraffe, ''G. camelopardalis'', and is native to North Africa, although alternative taxonomic hypotheses have proposed the northern gir ...

''; African buffaloes, ''

Syncerus caffer The African buffalo (''Syncerus caffer)'' is a large sub-Saharan African bovine. The adult African buffalo's horns are its characteristic feature: they have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield across the top of the head, referred to ...

''; and

common eland The common eland (''Taurotragus oryx''), also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a large savannah and plains antelope found in East Africa, East and Southern Africa. An adult male is around tall at the shoulder and can weigh up ...

, ''

Taurotragus oryx The common eland (''Taurotragus oryx''), also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a large savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa. An adult male is around tall at the shoulder and can weigh up to with a ty ...

''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q6050635 Ticks Ixodidae

See also

References