Strigiphilus Explained

Strigiphilus is a genus of chewing louse in the suborder Ischnocera. It was circumscribed in 1910 by Eric Mjöberg.

Taxonomic history

Mjöberg initially circumscribed Strigiphilus as a subgenus of the genus he referred to as Docophorus (now known as Philopterus).

In a 1966 paper, Theresa Clay recognized 29 species and grouped them into the following nine species groups:

• Strigiphilus rostratus group
• Strigiphilus heterocerus group
• Strigiphilus cursor group
• Strigiphilus crenulatus group
• Strigiphilus macrogenitalis group
• Strigiphilus strigis group
• Strigiphilus siamensis group
• Strigiphilus ketupae group
• Strigiphilus cursitans group

The largest group is the S. curstans group.

Hosts

Strigiphilus is the only genus of Ischnocera to exclusively parasitize owls.

Species

, there are approximately fifty species of Strigiphilus. Species include:

• Strigiphilus garylarsoni (cursitans group)

Further reading

• Clay. Theresa. The macrogenitalis group of Strigiphilus (Philopteridae: Phthiraptera). Journal of Entomology. 1975. 43. 2. 139–147. 10.1111/j.1365-3113.1975.tb00124.x. Series B, Taxonomy.
• Clay. Theresa. The Strigiphilus cursitans Group (Phthiraptera: Insecta). Records of the Queen Victoria Museum. 1977. 56. 1–4.