Ricinidae

Ricinidae

Ricinidae

Family of lice

The Ricinidae are a family of a larger group Amblycera of the chewing lice. All species are relatively large bodied (relative to host size)[2] avian ectoparasites. They typically exhibit low prevalence (proportion of infested hosts)[3] and low intensity (number of parasites per infested hosts).[4] They feed on host blood which is atypical in chewing lice.[5] Two or three genera are recognized.

Quick Facts Scientific classification, Genera ...

The genus Ricinus (65 species) parasitize small or medium-sized Passeriformes.[6][7] (Note that Ricinus is also a valid genus name in plant taxonomy.)

The genus Trochiliphagus (13 species) is very similar to the former one, considered to be identical with that by some authors,[8] but infest hummingbirds.

The genus Trochiloecetes (30 species) also parasitize hummingbirds, but – unlike the former genera – their infestations are usually restricted to the head and neck of the host.

The latter two genera constitute the most important members of hummingbirds' parasite fauna, although their ecology is poorly understood.[3]

References

  1. [1]
    Johnson, Kevin P.; Smith, Vincent S. (2021). "Psocodea species file online, Version 5.0". Retrieved 2021-11-05.
  2. [2]
    Harnos, A; Lang, Z; Petrás, D; Bush, SE; Szabo, K; Rozsa, L (2017). "Size matters for lice on birds: coevolutionary allometry of host and parasite body size". Evolution. 71 (2): 421–431. doi:10.1111/evo.13147. PMID 27925167. S2CID 4701333.
  3. [3]
    Oniki-Willis, Yoshika; Willis, Edwin O; Lopes, Leonardo E; Rozsa, Lajos (2023). "Museum-based research on the lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) infestations of hummingbirds (Aves: Trochilidae) – prevalence, genus richness, and parasite associations". Diversity. 15: 54. doi:10.3390/d15010054.
  4. [4]
    Sychra, Oldřich; et al. (2024). "Multivariate study of lice (Insecta: Psocodea: Phthiraptera) assemblages hosted by hummingbirds (Aves: Trochilidae)". Parasitology: 1–9. doi:10.1017/S0031182023001294. PMC 10941040. PMID 38116659.
  5. [5]
    Clay, T (1949). "Piercing mouth-parts in the biting lice (Mallophaga)". Nature. 164 (4171): 617. Bibcode:1949Natur.164..617C. doi:10.1038/164617a0. PMID 18229165. S2CID 4127686.
  6. [6]
    Valan, Miroslav; Sychra, Oldrich; Literak, Ivan (2016). "Chewing lice of genus Ricinus (Phthiraptera, Ricinidae) deposited at the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia, with description of a new species". Parasite. 23: 7. doi:10.1051/parasite/2016007. ISSN 1776-1042. PMC 4763114. PMID 26902646.
  7. [7]
    Bernard C. Nelson (1972): A Revision of the New World Species of Ricinus (Mallophaga). Occurring on Passeriformes (Aves), University of California Publications in Entomology Volume 68, University of California Press, Berkeley & Los Angeles, ISBN 0-520-09412-3 PDF Open access icon
  8. [8]
    G Rheinwald (2007): The position of Trochiliphagus Carriker within the Ricinidae (Insecta: Phthiraptera). Bonner Zoologische Beiträge 55, 37–46.


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