also: まダニ
hard tick; ixodid tick
Refers to ticks of the family Ixodidae, as opposed to soft ticks (ヒメダニ). Typically used in biological or medical contexts.
See also: 姫ダニ
If you are bitten by a hard tick, you may contract an infectious disease.
In this region, hard ticks become active from spring through autumn.
Katakana spelling is the usual written form for this word.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; rarely used. The reading まダニ is restricted to this form.
Full kanji spelling using the rare character 蜱. The reading まだに is restricted to this form.
The prefix 真 (ma) likely means 'true' or 'genuine', distinguishing hard ticks from soft ticks (ヒメダニ). The derivation of ダニ (tick) is uncertain.