louse fly

louse fly

▪ insect
 any insect of the parasitic family Hippoboscidae (order Diptera) characterized by piercing mouthparts used to suck blood from warm-blooded animals. Genera occur in both winged and wingless forms. The winged louse flies, parasitic on birds, are usually dark brown in colour, flat in shape, and leathery in appearance.

 The most common wingless species, the sheep ked (Melophagus ovinus), is about 6 millimetres (0.2 inch) long, red-brown in colour, and parasitic on sheep. Each female produces from 10 to 20 larvae at the rate of about one per week. The sheep ked cannot survive if separated from its host for more than several days. The parasite is of considerable economic importance because it stains wool, reducing its market value. Some insecticides are useful in control.

      The louse flies Lipoptena depressa and Neolipoptena ferrisi are found on deer. They sometimes attach to each other in chains; the first sucks blood from the host, the second from the first, and so on.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Louse fly — Louse Louse (lous), n.; pl. {Lice} (l[imac]s). [OE. lous, AS. l[=u]s, pl. l[=y]s; akin to D. luis, G. laus, OHG. l[=u]s, Icel. l[=u]s, Sw. lus, Dan. luus; perh. so named because it is destructive, and akin to E. lose, loose.] (Zo[ o]l.) 1. Any… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • louse fly — n any dipteran insect of the family Hippoboscidae …   Medical dictionary

  • louse fly — noun bloodsucking dipterous fly parasitic on birds and mammals • Syn: ↑hippoboscid • Hypernyms: ↑dipterous insect, ↑two winged insects, ↑dipteran, ↑dipteron • Hyponyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • louse fly — noun a flattened bloodsucking fly which typically spends much of its life on an individual host. [Family Hippoboscidae: many species.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • Louse — (lous), n.; pl. {Lice} (l[imac]s). [OE. lous, AS. l[=u]s, pl. l[=y]s; akin to D. luis, G. laus, OHG. l[=u]s, Icel. l[=u]s, Sw. lus, Dan. luus; perh. so named because it is destructive, and akin to E. lose, loose.] (Zo[ o]l.) 1. Any one of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Louse mite — Louse Louse (lous), n.; pl. {Lice} (l[imac]s). [OE. lous, AS. l[=u]s, pl. l[=y]s; akin to D. luis, G. laus, OHG. l[=u]s, Icel. l[=u]s, Sw. lus, Dan. luus; perh. so named because it is destructive, and akin to E. lose, loose.] (Zo[ o]l.) 1. Any… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pigeon louse fly — noun : pigeon fly …   Useful english dictionary

  • louse — n. /lows/; v. /lows, lowz/, n., pl. lice /luys/ for 1 3, louses for 4, v., loused, lousing. n. 1. any small, wingless insect of the order Anoplura (sucking louse), parasitic on humans and other mammals and having mouthparts adapted for sucking,… …   Universalium

  • fly — A two winged insect in the order Diptera. Important flies include Simulium (black f.), Calliphora (bluebottle f.), Piophila casei (cheese f.), Chrysops (deer f.), Siphona irritans (horn f.), Fannia scolaris (latrine f.), Oestrus ovis and… …   Medical dictionary

  • deer fly — noun 1》 a bloodsucking louse fly which is a parasite of deer. [Lipoptena cervi.] 2》 a bloodsucking horsefly which attacks large mammals and can transmit various diseases. [Genus Chrysops.] …   English new terms dictionary

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