Boophilus

/boʊˈɑːfɪləs/ noun

Definition

A genus of tick parasites, particularly the cattle tick, that transmits serious diseases to livestock; also called the cattle tick or tropical cattle tick.

Etymology

From Greek 'boos' (cow) plus 'philus' (loving), literally meaning 'cow-loving,' describing ticks that parasitize cattle and other bovines.

Kelly Says

The Boophilus tick was so devastating to cattle ranching that it shaped the economic geography of the American South—federal tick eradication programs in the early 1900s were among the first large-scale animal disease control efforts.

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