Anoplura Leach, 1815

Introduction

The sucking lice, Anoplura, are parasites of mammals. Of the approximately 500 species of sucking lice, about 2/3 are parasites of rodents. They feed exclusively on blood and heavy infestations can cause severe debilitation, anemia, and weakness of the host (Price and Graham 1997).

Characteristics

• 0.35 – 8 mm long.
• True solenophages (vessel feeders).
• Head usually conical, often pointed and lacking a tentorial structure.
• Cranial plates and sutures occasionally developed in nymphs but usually obliterated
• in the adult instar.
• Antennae short, filiform, three or usually five segmented.
• Sensilla present on the second and third flagellomere.
• Compound eyes absent or reduced.
• Mouthparts highly modified comprising three protrusible flexible stylets formed from the fused maxillae, normally withdrawn inside a haustella sac.
• When extruded these pierce the hosts skin to locate suitable blood vessels.
• Thorax usually small and completely fused bearing a single pair of spiracles.
• Legs often well developed with a modified tibia and one segmented tarsus that bears a single pretarsal claw.
• Abdomen comprises eight pregenital segments, although the most anterior pair are usually fused.
• The ninth visible segment bears the genital apparatus.
• Tergal and sternal plates across the abdomen may be present and are usually weakly sclerotized, although the paratergites are often well developed.
• Six, three, two or a single pair of spiracles borne on segments III-VIII.
• External genitalia usually well developed in both sexes.

Other Names for Anoplura Leach, 1815

• Sucking Lice

References

Durden, L. A. and G. G. Musser (1992). "Sucking lice (Insecta, Anoplura) from indigenous Sulawesi rodents: A new species of Polypax from a montane shrew rat, and new information about Polypax wallacei and P. eropepli." American Museum Novitates 3052: 19 pp.

Durden, L. A. and G. G. Musser (1994). "The sucking lice (Insecta, Anoplura) of the world: A taxonomic checklist with records of mammalian hosts and geographic distributions." Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History 218: 90 pp.

Haub, F. (1980). "Letter to the editors: Concerning "phylogenetic relationships of parasitic Psocodea and taxonomic position of the Anoplura" by K. C. Kim and H. W. Ludwig." Annals of the Entomological Society of America 73(1): 3-6.

Kim, K. C. (1975). "Ecological and morphological adaption of the sucking lice ,(Anoplura: Echinophthiriidae) on the northern fur seal." Rapp. P.-v. Réun. Cons. int. Explor. Mer. 169: 504-515.

Kim, K. C. and K. C. Emerson (1974). "Latagophthirus rauschi, new genus and new species (Anoplura: Echinophthiriidae) from the river otter (Carnivora: Mustelidae)." Journal of Medical Entomology 11(4): 442-446.

Kim, K. C. (1988). Evolutionary parallelism in Anoplura and eutherian mammals. Biosystematics of Haematophagous Insects. M. W. Service. Oxford, Clarendon Press. 37: 91-114.

Kim, K. C. and H. W. Ludwig (1978). "Phylogenetic relationships of Parasitic Psocodea and Taxonomic Position of the Anoplura." Annals of the America Entomological Society of 71(6): 910-922.

Kim, K. C., C. A. Repenning, et al. (1975). "Specific Antiquity of the sucking lice and evolution of the otariid seals." Rapp. P.-v. Réun. Cons int. Explor. Mer. 169: 544-549.

Mey, E. (1994). "Pedicinus-Formen (Insecta, Phthiraptera, Anoplura) seltener schlankaffen (Mammalia, Primates, Colobinae) aus Vietnam." Rudolstädter nat. hist. Schr. 6: 83-92.

Price, M. A. and O.H. Graham (1997). "Chewing and sucking lice as parasites of mammals and birds." US Department of Agriculture Technical Service Bulletin No. 1849, 309 pp.