The Amblycera are a large

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

chewing lice The Mallophaga are a possibly paraphyletic section Section, Sectioning or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especia ...

parasitic Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has c ...

on both

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

s and

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

s. The Amblycera are considered the most primitive clade of

lice Louse ( : lice) is the common name for any member of the clade Phthiraptera, which contains nearly 5,000 species of wingless parasitic insects. Phthiraptera has variously been recognized as an order, infraorder, or a parvorder, as a result o ...

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 A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it. Host may also refer to: Places * Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County People *Jim Host (born 1937), American businessman * Michel 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 group have

antenna Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to: Science and engineering * Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves * Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...

e but they cannot readily be seen because they lie in grooves in the side of the head. Usually the antennae of Amblycera composes 4-5 segments. The

maxillary palp Maxillary means "related to the maxilla (upper jaw bone)". Terms containing "maxillary" include: *Maxillary artery *Maxillary nerve *Maxillary prominence *Maxillary sinus The pyramid-shaped maxillary sinus (or antrum of Highmore) is the large ...

s 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

mandible In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movable bone ...

s of Amblycera bite horizontally. The head is often broader and rounder anteriorly than of

Anoplura Sucking lice (Anoplura, formerly known as Siphunculata) have around 500 species and represent the smaller of the two traditional superfamily (taxonomy), superfamilies of lice. As opposed to the paraphyletic chewing lice, which are now divided amo ...

but this morphologic difference is not reliable. The tarsi of

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

that parasitise birds have two claws, while of those that parasitise mammals have one only.Solsby, 1982

Families

The Amblycera are divided into the following

families Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideal ...

: * Ancistronidae * Boopidae Mjoberg, 1910 * Colpocephalidae Eichler, 1937 * Gliricolidae * Gyropidae Kellogg, 1896 *

Laemobothriidae The Laemobothriidae are a family of a larger group Amblycera of the chewing lice. Most commonly they are ectoparasites of birds. The genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil ...

Mjoberg, 1910 *

Menoponidae Menoponidae is a monophyletic family of lice in the superfamily of chewing lice, Amblycera, often referred to as the chicken body louse family. They are ectoparasites of a wide range of birds including chickens, which makes them important to ...

Mjoberg, 1910 * Pseudomenoponidae Mjoberg, 1910 *

Ricinidae The Ricinidae are a family of a larger group Amblycera of the chewing lice. Most commonly they are ectoparasites of birds. The family includes the genus ''Ricinus ''Ricinus communis'', the castor bean or castor oil plant, is a species of p ...

Neumann, 1890 * Somaphantidae Eichler, 1941 * Trimenoponidae * Trinotonidae Eichler, 1941

Significant species

Notable Amblycera that parasitise

s: * '' Holomenopon leucoxanthum'' (Burmeister, 1838) – cause of "wet feathers" of

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...

s * ''

Menopon gallinae ''Menopon'' is a genus of lice belonging to the family Menoponidae Menoponidae is a monophyletic family of lice in the superfamily of chewing lice, Amblycera, often referred to as the chicken body louse family. They are ectoparasites of a ...

'' (Linnaeus, 1958) – the "shaft louse" of

poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or their feathers. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, quails, a ...

, pale yellow in color * '' Menopon phaeostomum'' (Nitzsch, 1818) – usually occurs on

peafowl Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are ref ...

* '' Menecanthus stramineus'' (Nitzsch, 1818) – the yellow "body louse" of poultry * '' Trinoton anserinum'' (J.C.Fabricus, 1805) – may be found on ducks and swans Notable species that parasitise

s: * '' Gliricola porcelli'' (Linnaeus, 1758) – on

guinea-pig The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy (), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus '' Cavia'' in the family Caviidae. Breeders tend to use the word ''cavy'' to describe the an ...

s * '' Gyropus ovalis'' (Nitzsch, 1818) – on guinea-pigs * '' Heterodoxus longitarsus'' (Piaget, 1880) – on

Macropodidae Macropodidae is a family of marsupials that includes kangaroos, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, wallaroos, pademelons, quokkas, and several other groups. These genera are allied to the suborder Macropodiformes, containing other macropods, and ar ...

(wallabies and kangaroos) * '' Heterodoxus macropus'' (Le Souef & Bullen, 1902) – on Macropodidae * '' Heterodoxus spiniger'' (Enderlein, 1909) – common on dogs in warm countries (between

latitudes In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north–south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north pole ...

40° north and 40° south) * '' Trimenopon hispidium'' (Burmeister, 1838) – on guinea-pigs

References

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q1936744 Lice Unranked clades