Overview
Most mammals and birds have their own species of lice. Some hosts carry multiple louse species. Lice are dependent on their host for shelter, heat, humidity, and food. Depending on the species, a louse may eat blood, feathers, skin debris, or mucus.
Because of their strict dependence, lice generally co-evolve with their hosts. When a host species splits into two species, the same usually happens with its lice. Conversely, when a species of bird or mammal with unique lice becomes extinct, so do their host-specific lice – the extinction of the huia also saw the loss of its unique louse.
Lice are generally small (1-10 mm long), flat, and darkly coloured. Their scientific study requires examination using microscopes. Te Papa has about 70 000 louse specimens mounted on 35 000 glass microscope slides, and many more preserved in alcohol.
New species of lice are still being discovered, even on big birds that have been known for a long time. The new lice featured in DeClassified! Nature’s secrets exposed at Te Papa belong to the genera Halipeurus and Saemundssonia.
Halipeurus are slender-bodied chewing lice, with adult lengths of 2.5-5.5 mm, living mainly on the wings of the host. They are found regularly on gadfly petrels, shearwaters, storm petrels, and diving petrels. Saemundssonia are stout-bodied chewing lice, with adult lengths of 1.5-3.0 mm. They are found regularly on the head and neck of most species of albatrosses, petrels, plovers, waders, gulls, and terns. They also occur on tropicbirds, cranes, and ducks.
More on lice from Te Papa’s Collections Online.
Video of Tales from Te Papa Episode 56: Nature's Hitchhikers.
Louse specimens in Te Papa’s Collections Online.
References:
Palma RL (2011) New taxa, new synonymies and new host records in the louse genus Halipeurus (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) parasitic on petrels (Aves: Procellariiformes). Zootaxa 3017: 1-45. Online abstract (pdf).
Palma RL (2012) Three new species of the louse genus Saemundssonia (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Philopteridae). Zootaxa 3478: 38-48. Online abstract (pdf).