Lice Flashcards
General info about lice
Parasitic
Stenoxen
Stationary- affect both birds and mammals
General morphology
Wingless
Small compound eyes
How many pairs of legs do insects have?
3 pairs of legs
Development
Hemimetamorphosis
Nit– 3 nymph stages (moulting)— adult
When do they infect?
Winter becuase the host is not grooming and the animals are in close proximity
What are the 2 main types of lice?
Chewing and Blood-sucking
What are the types of chewing lice? how to differentiate the 2
Ablycera have groove on the head for hiding antennae
Ischnocera does not have groove on head for antennae
Morph of Amblycera and Ischnocera (the chewing/biting)
Groove on head to hide antennae
Head is WIDER than first segment of the thorax
3 pairs of legs
Eat keratinized skin and hair
If you can visualise structures at the rear end- male
If you can see eggs inside- female
NO vector potential
Nits of chewing lice
Have operculum
Resemble botfly species however these do not have an operculum
Blood-sucking lice?
Anoplura
In general about anoplura/blood-sucking
500 species Feed on mammals Vector potential Thorax is wider than the head 3 pairs of legs- often have 'claw' at the end of their legs!
Solenopotes?
Elongated body
First pair of legs have a small claw
Pediculus
Humanis capitis- head lice
Humanis corporis- body lice
Have claws at the end of the legs
Ligognanthus
Very small claw on first pair of legs
Elongated head
Goat, sheep, dogs and cattle
*can often be mistaken for Solenopotes
How to they travle to other hosts?
Phoresia/Phoresy– they hitch hike on other flying insects
