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Glite Dictionary
argasid

argasid

9.9
A soft tick without a hard shell that feeds on the blood of birds or mammals
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : argasido
  • There are two families of ticks, the soft or argasid ticks and the hard or ixodid ticks.
  • argasid tick

Examples

  • Unlike ixodid ticks, argasid ticks do not have a hard shell on their backs.

  • Argas vespertilionis, an argasid tick associated with bats and bat habitats in Europe, Africa, and Asia, has been reported to bite humans; however, studies investigating the presence of vector-borne pathogens in these ticks are lacking.

    Academic text (2012)

  • The fast-feeding argasid tick deploys a different strategy.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Argasid ticks (left, on human skin) gorge more quickly with the help of salivary proteins that make their host bleed rapidly.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The argasid tick is known for feeding quickly on its host without being noticed.

  • During the summer, argasid ticks are more active and can be found in various habitats.

Synonyms

soft tick
vsargasid
  • Specialized
9.7

A small blood-sucking animal without a hard shell on its back that bites animals and birds

is the formal scientific name used for the same parasites

Surface Forms

argasid singular
argasids plural

Etymology

Argasid comes from the group name Argas for certain ticks and the ending -id meaning 'a member of' or 'related to'. So an argasid is a tick that belongs to the Argas group — a 'soft' tick, which helps explain why it has no hard back shield and why its mouth is under the head.