Mallophaga; chewing (biting) lice, “bird

Mallophaga; chewing (biting) lice or "bird lice"

Cats	cat louse, Felicola subrostratus
Cattle	cattle biting louse, Bovicola bovis
Canidae and wallabies	"Australian dog louse", Heterodoxus spiniger
Dogs and other Canidae	dog biting louse, Trichodectes canis (can be intermediate host of dog tapeworm)
Fowl	(several species, including a more diverse array of body shapes and sizes than those on mammals)
Goats	goat biting louse, Bovicola caprae Angora goat biting louse, Bovicola crassipes ? (also on Angora goats), Bovicola limbata
Horses and other Equidae	horse biting louse, Bovicola equi
Sheep	sheep biting louse, Bovicola ovis
Swine	none

Description: wingless, small; adults usually 1/20 to 1/8 inch long (a few bird lice nearly Ľ inch); rounded head broader than thorax; typically pale yellowish or amber in color.

Domestic animals affected: cattle, horses, sheep, goats, fowl, dogs, cats; not swine.

Damage caused: loss of hair, reduced skin integrity, itching; scratches and bruises from rubbing; reduced feeding efficiency. Seldom linked to disease transmission (see Dog on accompanying list).

Development: gradual metamorphosis; egg, three nymphal instars that resemble adults but are smaller and paler in color, adult.

Generational time: typically ca. 3 to 4 weeks, more slowly in hot or very cold weather.

Oviposition site: eggs are glued to individual hairs, strands of wool, or feathers of the host—typically quite close to the skin.

Nymphal habitat, feeding: nymphs share the adult habitat and feeding habits.

Adult habitat, feeding: live entire life sheltered by host’s pelage or feathers, feeding on skin cells; some species of fowl lice feed on shafts and/or barbs of feathers.

Method of dispersal or infestation: host-to-host contact, exposure to bedding or roosts used by infested hosts; occasionally phoretic on flies.

Seasonality: biting (chewing) lice are most abundant during winter.

Notes or comments: Most chewing lice are host specific to a single species of host. Exceptions involve lice of Equidae and Canidae.


		For additional information contact:
		Ludek Zurek Ph.D. Medical and Veterinary Entomology Department of Entomology Kansas State University Manhattan KS 66506 (785) 532-4731 lzurek@ksu.edu