Lice1
Phthiraptera
EOL Text
In the Phthiraptera, louse is used for the singular and lice are used for the plural. “There are more than 3, 000 known species of lice and…more remain undescribed” (Smith and Page, 1997). They are usually about 0.5-6 millimeters in length. They require a host to survive and would not last long without one. Lice lack wings and mostly feed on skin or blood. Depending on the species, they feed by sucking or chewing. They can be found on “every avian and mammalian order except for monotremes (the platypus and echidnas), bats, whales, dolphins, porpoises, and pangolins” (Wikipedia, 2013). For mammals, the lice will attach their eggs with saliva. For birds, the lice will lay their eggs in spots that the birds cannot reach with their beaks. Lice tend to be more aggregated when living on bird species. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis. Within a month, the nymphs will molt three times before becoming an adult.
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Rights holder/Author | Rhianna Hruska, Rhianna Hruska |
Source | No source database. |
Lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) are small, wingless insects, permanently parasitic on mammals and birds. The order is one of approximately thirty major groups of insects, and is divided into four suborders, three of which (the Amblycera, Ischnocera, and Rhynchophthirina) are known as chewing or biting lice, and the fourth (the Anoplura) as sucking lice. Amblycera and Ischnocera are found on both mammals and birds where as species of Rhynchophthirina and Anoplura are confined to mammals. In total there are approximately 5,000 known species, of which just under 70% are recorded from a single host species.
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Rights holder/Author | Vince Smith, Vince Smith |
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Recent mophological (Yoshizawa & Johnson 2006) and molecular evidence (Johnson et al. 2004) has shown that the parasitic lice (Phthiraptera) evolved from within the psocopteran suborder Troctomorpha. In modern systematics, Psocoptera and Phthiraptera are therefore treated together in the order Psocodea (Bess et al. 2006).
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Rights holder/Author | Katja Schulz, Katja Schulz |
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Design features aid efficient attachment: lice
Lice adhere to their hosts' skin using strong claws and flat bodies.
"Lice are much more sedentary, clutching onto their host's skin with strong gripping claws. They have flattened bodies that rebuff attempts by the host to dislodge them." (Shuker 2001:165)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Shuker, KPN. 2001. The Hidden Powers of Animals: Uncovering the Secrets of Nature. London: Marshall Editions Ltd. 240 p.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | (c) 2008-2009 The Biomimicry Institute |
Source | http://www.asknature.org/strategy/63f42256a5aa584591820a5bbd110abf |
Eggs attached securely to hairs: body lice
The eggs of body lice are attached to the hairs of their host with a cement-like substance.
"Eggs of body lice, commonly called 'nits', are attached to the body hairs of the host by a cement-like substance." (Wootton 1984:87)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Wootton, A. 1984. Insects of the World. Blandford. 224 p.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | (c) 2008-2009 The Biomimicry Institute |
Source | http://www.asknature.org/strategy/3378b76f238d3171f1f18c20dd40df2e |
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) Stats
Specimen Records:2325
Specimens with Sequences:2192
Specimens with Barcodes:1430
Species:121
Species With Barcodes:117
Public Records:1916
Public Species:110
Public BINs:114
Collection Sites: world map showing specimen collection locations for Phthiraptera
Wingless, permanent obligate ectoparasites of mammals and birds. Highly host specific. Body dorso-ventrally flattened, adults 0.35 – 11 mm long. Eyes variable, antennae 3-5 segmented, mouthparts mandibulate or highly modified for sucking and/or piercing. Pronotum usually free. Meso- and metanotum complete or partially fused. Legs usually short/stout bearing single or paired pretarsal claws. Abdomen comprising 8-11 visible segments variably sclerotized, cerci absent. Colouration usually cryptic matching host pelage or plumage. Three nymphal instars.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Vince Smith, ViBRANT |
Source | http://phthiraptera.info/node/61521 |
As permanent obligate ectoparasites, louse distribution essentially mirrors that of the mammal and bird species they parasitize. Consequently, it is the diversity of these hosts rather than any geographic or ecological correlate that is the best predictor of louse diversity. Whilst Greenland is home to just 13 species of terrestrial/semi-terrestrial mammal, the countries rich avifauna, comprising an unusual mix of Arctic species combined with European and North American vagrants provides a varied habitat for the many species of lice that infest these birds.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Vince Smith, ViBRANT |
Source | http://phthiraptera.info/node/61521 |