Phylum Arthropoda, Class Insecta, Order Phthiraptera (lice) Flashcards
What is the general morphology of the class insecta?
Body is divided into three parts
- Head (contains mouthparts)
- Thorax (prothorax, mesothorax, metathorax. Each containing a pair of legs)
- Abdomen
What are the three Orders?
Order Phthiraptera (lice) Order Siphonaptera (fleas) Order Diptera (flies)
What is the Order Phthiraptera’s general morphology?
Body is dorsoventrally flattened with a head, thorax and abdomen
Contains 3 pairs of legs with claws for clinging to fur
Thorax has three segments
Contains spiracles on the thorax and abdomen
Paratergal plates - plates located on the lateral sides of the abdomen
Eggs
- Contain an operculum which contains holes
- Glued onto hair shaft or feathers
They are very host specific and can even have host specificity.
Spend their entire lifecycle on the host
Do not survive 1-2 days off the host –> transfer between host is by direct / close contact
Have hemimetabolous development –> just increase in size. Three nymphal stages.
What are the 2 types of lice?
Suborder Anoplura: Sucking lice
- Narrower head than thorax
- Head pointed anteriorly
- legs not always of similar size
- Feed on blood
- infects mammals (not birds)
Suborder Amblycera and Ischnocera: Chewing lice (biting)
- Head larger than thorax
- Rounded anteriorly
- Legs short and of similar size
- Feed on epidermal cells, bacteria, skin debris and feathers
- Infects mammals and birds.
What are the main features of Bovicola ovia?
Chewing lice:
Within Sheep
head is almost square, Rounded antiorly
Body is yellowish and the abdomen contains brown bands
Head is broad
All stages are feeding on epidermal scales, dried serum, bacteria, skin debris
What is the lifecycle of Bovicola ovis?
Females live for about 1 month
Eggs are cemented onto the wool fibers
Eggs –> larvae –> 3 nymphal stages –> adults
Lifecycle complete in 1 month
Like winter months - don’t like summer as sheep are shawn and will move to hide - abdomen, armpits, etc.
What are the three species of Linognathus?
Linognathus pedalis –> foot louse
Linognathus ovillus –> face louse
Linognathus africanus –> blue louse
All infect sheep - sucking lice
What are the major features of the Linognathus species?
Linognathus pedalis
- Head is short, as broad as is long, not prolonged in front of the antaennae
Linognathus ovillus
- Head is broad but twice as long as wide
Linognathus africanus
- Infect sheep and goats
- Post antennal lateral margins are extended / bulging.
- head narrower than thorax, no occular points, no plates, shorter first pair of legs
- Eggs fixed by glue to hairs
What are the species of lice located in goats?
Chewing:
Bovicola caprae
Bovicola limbata
Sucking:
Linognathus stenopsis
Linognathus africanus
What are the species of lice located in cattle
Chewing:
Bovicola bovis
Sucking:
Haematopinus euristernus
Linognathus vituli
Solenopotes capillatus
What are the species of lice in horses?
Chewing:
Werneckiella (bovicola) equi
Sucking:
Haematopinus asini
What are the general features of Haematopinus suis?
Located in pigs - Sucking lice
- Obvious angular processes (occular points) located behind antennae
- Thorax is wide and rectangular
- Head is smaller than thorax
- Paratergal plates on the segments of the abdomen
- Three pairs of legs have the same size.
- Strong claws
What are the general features of Trichodectes canis?
Host - dogs
Chewing lice
Head is wider than the thorax and is a rectangular shape
The abdomen is wide - has many rows of setae
Feed on epidermal debris and blood
Abdomen is almost circular
What are the general features of Heterodoxus spiniger?
Initially a marsupial parasite but is not in domestic dogs
Chewing lice
Yellowish parasite
Head is triangular, have strong ventral, spine-like processes
Legs have 2 claws
Feeding - prefers blood
What are the general features of Linognathus setosus?
In dogs Sucking lice head is narrower than thorax First pair of legs is smaller Feed on blood
