Ticks of the genus Margaropus resemble Rhipicephalus ticks but do not have festoons or ornamentations. They are characterized by greatly enlarged posterior legs and a prolonged median plate. The three highly specialized beady-legged, one-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.
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