''Saemundssonia'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
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 ...
belonging to the family
Philopteridae
The Philopteridae are a family of Ischnocera, chewing lice mostly parasitic on birds.
The taxonomy and systematics of the group are in need of revision; the Philopteridae are almost certainly paraphyletic.
Genera
Some notable species are also l ...
. These lice are
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 ha ...
on
aquatic birds, especially on members of the
order Charadriiformes
Charadriiformes (, from ''Charadrius'', the type genus of family Charadriidae) is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 390 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most charadriiform birds live near water an ...
, but also on
Anseriformes,
Gruiformes
The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like".
Traditionally, a number of wading and terrestrial bird families that did ...
,
Pelecaniformes
The Pelecaniformes are an order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such n ...
and
Procellariiformes
Procellariiformes is an order (biology), order of seabirds that comprises four family (biology), families: the albatrosses, the Procellariidae, petrels and shearwaters, and two families of storm petrels. Formerly called Tubinares and still call ...
. Members of this genus have a broad triangular head bearing a frontal
plate
Plate may refer to:
Cooking
* Plate (dishware), a broad, mainly flat vessel commonly used to serve food
* Plates, tableware, dishes or dishware used for setting a table, serving food and dining
* Plate, the content of such a plate (for example: ...
with a dark backwards-pointing projection.
Species
Species include:
*''
S. acutipecta''
*''
S. boschi''
*''
S. calva''
*''
S. celidoxa''
*''
S. fraterculae''
*''
S. grylle''
*''
S. insolita''
*''
S. laticaudata''
*''
S. merguli''
*''
S. montereyi''
*''
S. wumisuzume''
References
Lice
Parasites of birds
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