Hippoboscidae
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Hypoboscidae (lapsus) |
Hippoboscidae, the louse flies or keds (superfamily Hippoboscoidea), are obligate parasites of mammals and birds. There are winged and wingless species in this family. The sheep ked, Melophagus ovinus (Linnaeus), is a wingless, reddish-brown fly that parasitizes sheep. The Neotropical deer ked, Lipoptena mazamae (Rondani), is a common ectoparasite of white-tailed deer in the southeastern United States. Both winged and wingless forms may be seen. A common winged species is Hippobosca equina, known simply as louse fly among riders. Species in other genera are found on birds, for example, Ornithomya bequaerti Maa has been collected from birds in Alaska. Pseudolynchia canariensis (Macquart) is commonly found on pigeons and doves, and can serve as the vector of pigeon malaria. There is some evidence that other Hippoboscidae can serve as vectors of disease agents to mammals. Like other members of the superfamily, most of the development of the immature stages takes place within the mother's body, and pupation occurs almost immediately. Hippoboscidae are commonly found on the Tawny Frogmouth, a bird found in Australia.
See also
- Use of DNA in forensic entomology
External links
- Incidence of Louse-flies (Hippoboscidae) in Some Alaskan Birds
- Sheep Ked
- Neotropical Deer Ked
- Pigeon Louse Fly
- Pseudolychia canariensis as Vector of Pigeon Malaria
- Hippoboscidae as Potential Vectors of Bartonella spp.
- Photograph of A Louse Fly
- Images from Diptera.info.[1]
- Images from BugGuide [2]
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Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "Hippoboscidae". Image Credit.
