Ticks of the genus Margaropus resemble Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) ticks, but do not have festoons or ornamentations. They are characterized by greatly enlarged posterior legs and a prolonged median plate. The 3 highly specialized beady-legged, 1-host Margaropus spp are restricted to limited areas of Africa. M reidi and M wileyi are recorded from giraffes in the Sudan and in Kenya and Tanzania, respectively. M wileyi is also known to parasitize zebras and gnu. M winthemi, a winter-feeding parasite of zebras, horses, and less often other livestock and antelope, is confined to mountains of South Africa and may contribute to loss of condition during winter.

Last full review/revision July 2011 by Michael L. Levin, PhD