The Friday Night Lice mystery we posted last week was Schizophthirus pleurophaeus (Burmeister, 1839) (Anoplura: Hoplopluridae). This louse, specimen PSUC_FEM 10005243-1 was collected off a Hazel Dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius (Linnaeus, 1758) in Wolfsheim, Germany.
According to Durden & Musser (1994), this louse species is known to parasitize other dormice as well, including Dryomys nitedula (Pallas), Eliomys quereinus (Linnaeus), and Glis glis (Linnaeus), the Edible Dormouse (a sensible host for this louse!):
And so ends the Friday Night Lice series, at least for now. We hope to be back in a few months, after we settle back into our digitization routine. Thanks for reading!
Elizabeth Brobst says
My comment is about DigiPan or is it DigiSpan? The resolution is remarkable!!
The FFEM website is great. I am looking forward to seeing more about all the behind-the -scenes activity. Reading about current research is fun, informative, and challenging. New tech and new ideas. Thank you Andy and Staff.
Andy Deans says
Thanks, Beth! We use an Olympus compound microscope to get these images, and we have a new system (GigaMacro) we’re experimenting with. Watch this blog and the Friends of the Frost newsletter for updates!