Article beginning on page 375.
Psyche 7:375-378, 1894.
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PSYCHE;.
THE MALLOPIIAGA.
BY VRRNOX L. KELLOGG, STANFORD UNIVEKSITY, CAI.. A small and interesting gioup of
insects, the Mallophaga, seems to have
bcen pretty methodically and consist-
ently overlooked by American insect-
students. In Germany, Nitzsch of the
University of Halle, and following him
and piofiting by the
collections and
notes made by him, Giebel and Tas-
chenberg, at Leyden Piaget, and in
England Denny, have undet taken to
collect and desciibe Mallophaga, with
the result that some 1000 species have
bcen named, and several very poitly
volumes filled with descriptions and
figures of these small parasitic insects have been printed. The Mallopl~a~
aic interesting because of then paiasitic habits. their strangely specialized struc- ture, and the still open question of their pbsition among insects. Because they
liavc been comn~only associatcd witli
the Pediculidae in early entomological
texts, and have been studied by Nitzsch, Giebel, Denny and Piaget witli the true
lice as external parasites of warm-
blooded animals. and are called " lice," and are unknown things to most ento-
mologists, they are commonly held as
a group closely allied to the Pediculi-
dae, which they most ceitainly are not.
They have an incomplete mctarnox-
phosis, biting mouth parts, are wingless, and feed on the scales, feathers and
hairs of mumm~ils and birds.
They
have gradually ascended during the
storm and stress of classificatory strug- gling from the position of a family
blown with each changing wind from
Hemiptera to Orthoptera to Pseiido-
Neuroptera, to the position of un indc-
pendent order untrammeled by near
relations or affinities.
With some considerable difficulty I
have made a small beginning in the
study of the American forms, and have
now in the course of printing' the
descriptions and figures of one new
FIIUS and 38 new species of Mallo-
phaga collected by me from American
water iincl shore birds, mostly maritime birds shot on the Bay of Monterey,
California. On these water Lircls I
have besides identified 23 species
previously described from European
birds. In addition I have noted on
American land birds 16 previously
described species :ind 24 new fon-iis.
No recognizable species of Mallophaga
has been heretofore described from
specimens taken from American birds.
In this short study of the group, there
are apparent many interesting prob-
lems in zoological and geographical
distribution, in tlic relation of parasite to host, and in the peculiar opportuni-
ties for variation and species-forming.
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376 7's 2TIIE. [May 18~6.
Because of these interesting problems
and of the need for a wider observa-
tion of the American forms of the
group 1 present this table of the genera of the Mallophaga and a short paper
to follow on their habits and distri-
ljution in the hope of calling the atten- tion of American students to the group.
The Mallopliaga were divided by
Nitzsch into two Families, the Philop-
teridae with filiform antennae and
without maxillary (= labial) palpi, and
the Liotheidae with capitate, 4-seg-
incnted antennae and maxillary (-
labial) palpi. The family Philopteridae
included two genera: Trichodectes,
with 3-segmented antennae and I -
clawed tarsi, and Philopterus with
5-segmented antennae and 2-clawed
tarsi. The latter genus was subdi-
vided into the five sub-genem Doco-
phorus, Nirmus, Goniocoles, Goniodes,
and Lipeurus. The family Liotlieidae
similarly included two genera: Gyro-
pus with ]-clawed tarsi and Liotheum
with a-clawed tarsi. The latter genus
was sub-divided into six siib-genera,-
Eureum, Laemobothriurn, Physosto-
mum, Trinoton, Colpocepl~alu~m and
Menopoll. The two I-clawed gencra
Frichodectes and Gyropus (one belong-
ing to each family) were found by
Nitzsch exclusively upon mammals ;
all the other genera exclusively upon
birds. In essential identity the classi- fication of to-day is that of Nitzsch;
it differs in discarding the generic
groups Philopterus and Liotheum,
and in considering the Nitzschian sub-
genera as genera, and in the addition
3f several new genera based on species
since discovered.
The change of classification by
which the one-time sub-genera of
Pliiloptcrus are now put on equality
with the genus Trichodectes and simi-
larly the sub-genera of Liotlieuin on
equality with Gyropus, seems to me
ill-advised. The two genera found
on mammals differ in so many ways
and so radically from their bird-infest- ingcongeners (?) in each family that
I believe their striking host and struct- nral differences sho~dd be recognized
in thc classifict~tio~~. I propose, there- fore, in the light of the present
ranking of the Mallopliaga as an
independent order of insects, to rank
the Nilzschian families as snb-orders,
the Nitzschinn gcnera as families, and
the Nitzschian sub-genera, the genera
of present-day writers, as genera.
This will leave unchanged the present
generic names and ranking, but will
restore the expression, first indicated
by Nitzsch in his generic groups, of
the differences between the mamma-
lian parasites and the avian parasites.
This re-rniiking, which is practically
I return to the classification of Nitzscli, is adopted in the following synopsis
and key which I have arningecl to
include ail the gcncra so far estab-
lished.
.Synopsis of the Order Mallofihaga.
Sub-order ISCHNOCERA.
Family Trichodectidae.
Genus Trichodectes Nitzsch,
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May 1896.1 PSYCHE,
Family Philopteridae.
Genera Akicloproctns Piaget, Do-
cophorus Nitzsch, Giehelia Kellogg
(MS.), Nirmub Nitzbch, Eurymetopus
Taschenberg, Goniodes Nitzscli, Goni-
ocotes Burmcister, Ornitliobius Denny,
Bothriometopus Taschenberg, Lipeurus
Nitzsch, Oncophorus Rudow.
Sub-order AMBLYCERA.
Family Gyropidue.
Genus Gyropus Nitzsch.
Family Liothcldae.
Genera Colpocephalum Nitzsch,
Boopia Piaget, Trinoton Nitzsch,
Lacmobothrium Nitzsch, Fhysosto-
nwm Nitzsch, Eureum Nitzsch, Nitz-
schia Denny, Ancistrona Westwood,
Menopon Nitzsch.
Key to the Sub-orders,
A
With filiform 3- or 5-segmented antennae, and no labial palpi. Sub-order ISCHNOCERA.
AA
With clavak (or capitate) A-segmerileil antennae, and 4-segrpenled labial palpi. . . Sub-01 der AMBLYCERA.
Key to the Genera of the Sub-order Ischnocem. A
With 3-segmented antennae ; tarsi with I claw ; infesting mammals (family 'Sricliodecticlae). . . 'Trichodectes N. AA
With ^-segmented antennae; tarsi with 2 claws; infesting birds (family Philopteridae) .
B
Antennae similar in both sexes.
C Front deeply angularly notched. . Akidopvoctus P. CC
Front convex, truncate, or rarely with a curving en~argination, but never angularly notched.
D
Species broad and short ; with large movable trabeculae (at the anterior angle of antennary fossa) .
E Forehead with a broad transverse membranous flap projecting beyond lateral margin of the head in the male, barely projecting in female. Giebelia Kell.
El3 Without such membranous flap. . . Docophorus N. DD Species elongate, narrow; with very small or 110 trabeculae. Nirmus N.
BB
Antennae cliKcring in the two sexes.
C
Species wide, with the body elongate-ovate to sub-orbicular. D Temporal margins rounded ; last segment of abdomem roundly emar- ginated ; antennae of male without appendage, third segment very long. . Eurymetopus Tasch.
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p.5 ITHE. [May i8q6.
DD Temporal margins usually anguliited; last segment of abdomen convex, rarely angularly emarginated with two points. E
First segment of antenna of male large, sometimes with an appen- dage ; third segment always with an appendage. Gomodes N.
EE First segment of antenna of male cnlanyed, but always without appendage; third segment without appendage ; last seg-ment of abdomen always rounded behind. Goniocotes ffurm. CC
Species elongate, narrow, sides sub-parallel. D
Third segment of antenna of male without an appendage. Ornithobiit-s Denny.
DD
Third segment of antenna of male with an appendage. E Front deeply angularly notched. . . Bothriometoptts Tasch. EE Front not angularly notched.
F
Antennae and legs long ; a semi-cii cular oral fossa. Lifeuyus fl
FF Antennae and legs short ; oral fossa narrow, elongate, cxtend- ing as a furrow to the anterior margin of head. Oncophorns MW.
Key to the Genera, of the Sub-order Amilycera. A
Tarsi with one claw ; infesting mammals (family Gyropidae) Gyropus N.
AA Tarsi with two claws; infesting' birds (except Bovpia?) (family Liotheidae) .
B
Ocular emargination distinct, more or less deep. C Forehead rounded without lateral swellings ; antennae projecting beyond border of the head. . . Colpoce$halum X CC
Forelicad with strong lateral swellings. D Antennae projecting beyond border of the head; temporal angles projecting rectangnlarly ; eye large and simple. . Boopia P. DD Antennae concealed in groove or under side of head ; temporal angles rounded or slightly angular; cyc divided by an emargi- nation and fleck.
E Mesothorax separated from metathorax by a suture. Trinoton N. EE Meso- and metathorax fused, no suture. La.e?nohotJzrium N. BB
Ocular emargination absent or very slight. C
Sides of the head straight or slightly concave ; forehead with two small laterally-projecting labral lobes. . . Physostomum N. CC
Sides of the head sinuous ; forehead without labral lobes. D
Body very broad ; metathorax shorter than prothorax. Eureum N.
DD
Body elongate ; prothorax shorter than metathorax.
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May ~8~6.1 PS ?T/IZ?. 879
I3 Ocular emargination filled by a strong swelling; sternal markings forming a quadrilateral without median blotches. Nitzschia Denny.
EE Ocular emargination without swelling, hardly apparent or cn- tirely lacking; median blotches on sternum. F
Very large; with two 2-pointed appendages on ventral aspect of hind-head ; anterior coxae with very long lobe-like appendages. Ancistrona Westwood.
FF Small or median ; without bi-partite appendages of hind-head. Memq5on N'
NOTES ON THE WINTER INSECT FAUNA OF VIGO COUNTY, INDIANA.- V.
BY W. S. BLATCIILEY, INDIANAPOI.IS, INDIANA. , COLEOPTERA (CONT.) . 79, PhiIhydrus cinctus Say. On two occasions in February from beneath
A number of beetles belonging to the
logs close to ponds. Common in sum-
families Dytiscidae, Gyrinidac and Hy-
mer.
drophilidat?, doubtless pass the win-
ter as imagoes,* hibernating in the SILPHIDAE. waters of the deeper pools of ponds and
80, SiZpha surinumensis Fab. Dec.
streams, or beneath the mud and drift-
18.
wood near their margins.
The oppor-
81, S. inequalis Fab.
Jan. 16.
tunity did not occur to make a special
The above were taken on several oc-
investigation of sucli pools, and there- casions beneath logs close to carrion.
fore but two species of water beetlcs
Surinamcnsis is found only singly or in
were taken during the winter collecting. pairs. Inequalis is gregarious, winters
in different stages, and in Indiana is
HY-DKOPHILIDAE.
the most abundantly represented species
78, Berosus skiatus Say. The of the family. only specimen taken in the county was
82, Choleva basil laċ´^-i. Say. One
found Feb. 26, deeply buried in damp
specimen, Dec. 5, from beneath a rail
sand, beneath a log on margin of old
in upland field.
canal. 83, Agathidiumsf.? One Dec. 25.
- Beneath chunk.
*Imagoes of the genera Dytiicm and Hydrophilus hare id^^ the four Species
been seen by the writer on numerous occasions in early April. two others, Necrofho~us orbicollis
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Volume 7 table of contents