We’re mixing it up this week by offering a mystery chewing louse for Friday Night Lice!
Our collection of sucking lice (Anoplura) is incredible, but we also have decent collections of chewing lice (especially Ischnocera and Amblycera). Take a close look at this insect’s mouthparts, and compare, for example, to last week’s mystery louse.
Look also at those large grabby bits on the legs. Remind you of any other lice seen on this blog? This insect is fairly large for a louse, as well. Can you guess the host mammal? (That’s a hint, given that chewing lice are often on birds! Sucking lice are always on mammals … unless they’re on slides … in our collection.) Offer your guesses below as comments, and we’ll post the answer on Monday.