bont-legged tick, noun phrase

Forms:
Also bont-leg tick.
Origin:
Afrikaans, EnglishShow more Afrikaans bont parti-coloured + English legged + tick.
Any of several species of tick of the genus Hyalomma of the Ixodidae, characterized by red legs with pale yellow bands at the joints. Also attributive. Cf. bont tick.
Note:
This tick causes tick-bite fever, and transmits Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever.
1970 E. Crabbe in Outpost 223Leon had lost some 15lbs in weight and was suffering from bont-legged tick sores of some severity.
1971 Potgieter & Du Plessis Animal Life in Sn Afr. 219Bont-leg tick, (Hyalomma spp.). Has a very wide distribution over Africa, and there seem to be several different species and varieties, so that it is difficult to name it precisely. It is well known in South Africa, however, because of its ‘bont’ legs...Recently it has been found to transmit sweating sickness and tick-bite fever.
1981 E. Prov. Herald 3 Mar. 1Congo fever is transmitted by the ‘hyalomma’ or ‘bont-leg’ tick, of which 26 species are found throughout South Africa.
1984 L. Vergnani in Sunday Times 23 Sept. 9Railway employee Mr Frans Theart was bitten by a bont-legged tick.
1984 I. Horak in Grocott’s Mail 11 Dec. 19The bont-legged tick measures about five to six millimetres, has a dark brown to black body and its legs are banded with red and white.
Any of several species of tick of the genus Hyalomma of the Ixodidae, characterized by red legs with pale yellow bands at the joints. Also attributive.
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