Book Louse

This week’s podcast is guaranteed to make your scalp crawl—but don’t worry, it’s most likely all in your head, and not on it. We’ll visit entomologist Richard Pollack to learn about an insect that’s the bane of parents and school principals everywhere—or is it? Ari Daniel Shapiro explains. Photo Credit: Gilles San Martin, CC BY-SA Download a transcript of this podcast read moreDuration: 5:04Published: Wed, 08 Aug 2012 13:52:49 +0000

Asker, Akershus, Norge

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Figure 1.Photograph of habitus of Libanopsyllipsocus alexanderasnitsyni gen. et sp. n., holotype, male, specimen number 30.

Figures 1–10.Colpocephalum afrozeae sp. n.1 male dorsal view 2 male ventral view 3 female dorsal view 4 maxillary palp 5 antenna; 6 hypopharynx 7 prosternal plate 8 sternite IV with ctenidia 9 female terminalia ventral view 10 male genitalia

Asker, Akershus, Norge

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Life cycle of the Pubic (or Crab) Louse (Pthirus pubis), an ectoparasite of humansPubic lice (Pthirus pubis) have three stages: egg, nymph and adult. Eggs (nits) are laid on a hair shaft (1). Females will lay approximately 30 eggs during their 3-4 week life span. Eggs hatch after about a week and become nymphs, which look like smaller versions of the adults. The nymphs undergo three molts (2, 3, 4) before becoming adults (5). Adults are 1.5-2.0 mm long and flattened. They are much broader in comparison to head and body lice. Adults are found only on the human host and require human blood to survive. If adults are forced off the host, they will die within 24-48 hours without a blood feeding. Pubic lice are transmitted from person to person most commonly via sexual contact, although fomites (bedding, clothing) may play a minor role in their transmission.From Centers for Disease Control Parasites and Health website.

Figure 10.Drawing of hypandrium of Libanopsyllipsocus alexanderasnitsyni gen. et sp. n., holotype, male; par = paraproct, ep = epiproct, trich = trichobothria; scale bar = 0.3 mm.

Figures 11–12.Colpocephalum afrozeae sp. n. 11 penis details 12 genital sclerite.

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Figure 11.Photograph of hypandrium and aedeagus of Libanopsyllipsocus alexanderasnitsyni gen. et sp. n., holotype, male.

This illustration depicts the morphologic characteristics of the ventral surface of the female and male louse, Goniodes gigas.Created: 1975

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Figure 12.Photograph of paraproct of Libanopsyllipsocus alexanderasnitsyni gen. et sp. n., holotype, male; arrow shows the anal spine.

This illustration depicts the ventral features of the male and female louse, Lipeurus caponis.Created: 1975

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Figure 2.Drawing of habitus of Libanopsyllipsocus alexanderasnitsyni gen. et sp. n., holotype, male, scale bar = 0.3 mm.

This illustration of female and male lice, Goniodes dissimilis shows the ventral aspect of this species.Created: 1975

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Figure 3.Photograph of hypopharynx filaments (arrows) of Libanopsyllipsocus alexanderasnitsyni gen. et sp. n., holotype, male.

Seal louse; Seal louse.

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Figure 4.Drawing of wings of Libanopsyllipsocus alexanderasnitsyni gen. et sp. n., holotype, male, scale bar = 0.3 mm.