Mallophaga

Thesaurus

Noun

Mallophaga - biting lice order Mallophagaanimal order - the order of animalsclass Hexapoda, class Insecta, Hexapoda, Insecta - insects; about five-sixths of all known animal speciesbird louse, biting louse, louse - wingless insect with mouth parts adapted for biting; mostly parasitic on birdsgenus Menopon, Menopon - chicken lice

Mallophaga

[mə′läf·ə·gə] (invertebrate zoology) Biting lice, a comparatively small order of wingless insects characterized by five-segmented antennae, distinctly developed mandibles, one or two terminal claws on each leg, and a prothorax developed as a distinct segment.

Mallophaga

(bird lice), an order of insects of the group Pterygota. Mallophagans have secondarily reduced wings. The insects, which parasitize birds and, less often, mammals, are small, with a thick body measuring 0.5–11 mm in length. The head is wider than the thorax, and the mesothorax and metathorax of many species are fused. The eyes are reduced, the antennae are short with three to five segments, and the mouth-parts are fitted for chewing. The tarsi have one or two segments and one or two claws. Mallophagans feed on desquamated epithelium and its derivatives (feathers, down, hair) and, less frequently, on blood. The eggs adhere to hairs, down, and feathers; development takes place with almost no metamorphosis. Infestation occurs by contact; sometimes the mallophagans are carried by louse flies or other bloodsuckers. Each species parasitizes a limited number of host species. The insect’s feeding and movement over the host’s skin cause intense itching and weakening of the host.

There are more than 2,500 species of mallophagans, comprising two suborders: Amblycera and Ischnosera. The former have concealed antennae and protruding jaws; they include the chicken head louse, which is harmful to poultry breeding. Three genera of the suborder parasitize marsupials. The Ischnosera, which have threadlike antennae and upper jaws that are directed downward, include the Trinotum luridum and the Tricho-dectidae.

Measures to combat mallophagans include treating infested animals with contact insecticides and cleaning and disinfecting the premises.

M. S. GILIAROV

Mallophaga

Mal·loph·a·ga

(mă-lof'ă-gă), An order of biting lice that cause irritation by feeding on hair, feathers, and skin, and on blood and exudates when present; most species are found on birds, but some are found on common domestic animals. The genera Menacanthus and Menopon (family Menoponidae) attack domestic fowl, as do Columbicola, Chelopistes, Lipeurus, and other genera of the family Philopteridae, while Bovicola, Felicola, and Trichodectes (family Trichodectidae) infest domestic mammals. [G. mallos, wool, + phagein, to eat]

Mallophaga

A suborder of biting lice with 2800 species. They are wingless, hemimetabolous (simple metamorphosis with no pupa), ectoparsites (live on the outside of their hosts, mostly birds but also of some mammals, including humans), measure 0.5 to 10 mm in length, are dorsoventrally flattened, and have reduced compound eyes and no ocelli.

Mallophaga

An order of biting lice that may affect humans

Mallophaga

see LOUSE.

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Synonyms for Mallophaga

noun biting lice

Synonyms

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