Sucking louse
| Sucking louse | |
|---|---|
| |
| Linognathus setosus (Linognathidae) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Psocodea |
| Suborder: | Troctomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Nanopsocetae |
| Parvorder: | Phthiraptera |
| Superfamily: | Anoplura Leach, 1815 |
| Families | |
| Synonyms | |
Sucking lice (Anoplura, formerly known as Siphunculata) are a family of around 500 species of lice. All sucking lice are blood-feeding ectoparasites of mammals. They occur on about 20% of all placentalian mammal species.[1] They can cause localized skin irritations and are vectors of several blood-borne diseases. Children are particularly susceptible to attracting sucking lice due to their fine hair.
At least three species or subspecies of Anoplura are parasites of humans; the human condition of being infested with sucking lice is called pediculosis. Pediculus humanus is divided into two subspecies, Pediculus humanus humanus, or the human body louse, sometimes nicknamed "the seam squirrel" for its habit of laying of eggs in the seams of clothing, and Pediculus humanus capitis, or the human head louse. Pthirus pubis (the human pubic louse) is the cause of the condition known as crabs.
Characteristics
[edit]Sucking lice are typically flattened and wingless, with sharp claws on their legs that are used to attach themselves to hair or human clothing.[2] All sucking lice suck blood through a small proboscis that is usually kept inside of their head.[2] Their color typically ranges between a mixture of yellow and white.[3]
Families
[edit]These 15 families are generally recognized in the Anoplura:[4]
- Echinophthiriidae Enderlein, 1904 – (seal lice)
- Enderleinellidae Ewing, 1929
- Haematopinidae Enderlein, 1904 – (ungulate lice)
- Hamophthiriidae Johnson, 1969
- Hoplopleuridae Ewing, 1929 – (armoured lice)
- Hybophthiridae Ewing, 1929
- Linognathidae Webb, 1946 – (pale lice)
- Microthoraciidae Kim & Lugwig, 1978
- Neolinognathidae Fahrenholz, 1936
- Pecaroecidae von Kéler, 1963
- Pedicinidae Enderlein, 1904 – (Old World monkey lice)
- Pediculidae Leach, 1817 – (body lice)
- Polyplacidae Fahrenholz, 1912 – (spiny rat lice)
- Pthiridae Ewing, 1929 – (pubic lice)
- Ratemiidae Kim & Lugwig, 1978
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Piotrowski, F. (1992): Anoplura (echte Läuse). de Gruiter; 61 pp. (page 8)
- ^ a b "Sucking Louse - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics". www.sciencedirect.com. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
- ^ "Sucking louse | Parasite, Blood-Feeding, Pest | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
- ^ Johnson, Kevin P.; Smith, Vincent S. (2021). "Psocodea species file online, Version 5.0". Retrieved 2021-11-05.
External links
[edit]
- Solenopotes capillatus, little blue cattle louse on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
- VectorBase homepage for Pediculus humanus (genome browser, downloads and more)
Human lice and pediculosis | ||
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| Species |  | |
| Infestation | ||
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| Other terms of interest | ||
