Amblycera

The Amblycera are a large suborder of chewing lice, parasitic on both birds and mammals. The Amblycera are considered the most primitive suborder of lice.

Amblycera
Ricinus bombycillae (Ricinidae)
from a Bohemian waxwing
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Phthiraptera
Suborder: Amblycera
Kellogg 1896
Diversity
6 families

Description

These insects are very much like the familiar advanced sucking lice, except they do not stay on their host permanently. They roam freely over the surface of their host and, unlike other lice, do not form permanent attachments. They feed by chewing soft areas of skin, causing an area of localized bleeding from which they drink.

Species of this suborder have antennae but they cannot readily be seen because they lie in grooves in the side of the head. Usually the antennae of suborder Amblycera composes 4-5 segments. The maxillary palps may, however, be present and these may be visible in mounted specimens but may be confused with the antennae. Palps of amblycerans ranges in segments from two to five. The mandibles of this suborder bite horizontally. The head is often broader and rounder anteriorly than of Anoplura but this morphologic difference is not reliable. The tarsi of species that parasitise birds have two claws, while of those that parasitise mammals have one only.[1]

Families

The Amblycera are divided into six families:

Significant species

Significant Amblycera that parasitise birds are for example:

  • Holomenopon leucoxanthum (Burmeister, 1838) – cause of "wet feathers" of ducks
  • Menopon gallinae (Linnaeus, 1958) – the "shaft louse" of poultry, pale yellow in color
  • Menopon phaeostomum (Nitzsch, 1818) – usually occurs on peafowl
  • Menecanthus stramineus (Nitzsch, 1818) – the yellow "body louse" of poultry
  • Trinoton anserinum (J.C.Fabricus, 1805) – may be found on ducks and swans

Species that parasitise mammals are for example:

  • Gliricola porcelli (Linnaeus, 1758) – on guinea-pigs
  • Gyropus ovalis (Nitzsch, 1818) – on guinea-pigs
  • Heterodoxus longitarsus (Piaget, 1880) – on Macropodidae (wallabies and kangaroos)
  • Heterodoxus macropus (Le Souef & Bullen, 1902) – on Macropodidae
  • Heterodoxus spiniger (Enderlein, 1909) – common on dogs in warm countries (between latitudes 40° north and 40° south)
  • Trimenopon hispidium (Burmeister, 1838) – on guinea-pigs
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References
  1. Solsby, 1982
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