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ORDER SIPHUNCULATA, ANOPLURA, SUCKING LICE
(उव )
(Plate II, Fig 17)
Small wingless flat, blood sucking. Head protruded with pointed
beak, retracted when not in use. Fused thorax distinct. Legs stout,
conspicuous claws. Parasitic on mammals including man. Not sufficiently
studied. Described species about 225, a few recorded in India. Divided
into five families but only One, Pediculidae is important.
P. capitis is the human head louse. P. corporis slightly smaller found
on human body under clothes. Both disease carriers, e.g. typhus,
relapsing fever, trench fever etc. P. pubis (Crab louse) breeds in the pubic
region and looks like a crab. Not a disease carrier, Goa records H.
tuberculatus on buffalo, H. eurystermus on domestic cattle.
See Hopkins G. H. H. (1949) Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 119:387 Host
association of the lice of mammals.
ORDER HEMIPTERA—RHYNCHOTA (BUGS) (PLATE II).
Many species affecting human life Suck food by beak which remains
folded under body when not in use. Four wings in adult stage with a few
exceptions. Divided into 2 sub orders, Homoptera and Heteroptera. each
distinct from the other.
SUB-ORDER HOMOPTERA
Small insects of different types. Front of the head bent, wings held
over the body as a roof, sloping on sides, consistency uniform. Many
apterous in adult stage. Pronotum small, tarsi 1 to 3 jointed,
metamorphosis complete or incomplete or may differ in sexes. Mostly
plant feeders, appear singly or in groups. Multiply rapidly. Nine families.
FAUNA 383