Philopteridae
| Philopteridae | |
|---|---|
| Guimaraesiella tovornikae and Sturnidoecus sp., parasites of birds | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Psocodea |
| Suborder: | Troctomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Phthiraptera |
| Parvorder: | Ischnocera |
| Family: | Philopteridae Nitzsch, 1818 |
| Type genus | |
| Philopterus Nitzsch, 1818 | |
| Genera | |
|
Numerous, see text | |
Philopteridae is a family of feather lice. They are parasitic on birds, primarily consuming downy feathers.
Philopteridae is a highly diverse family with more than 2,700 described species, and constitutes 30% of the order Psocodea, half of all described Phthiraptera (lice), and the majority of parvorder Ischnocera. Most bird groups are infested with members of this family. Different species show convergent morphology, converging on one of a few forms, depending on which area of the host they hide in.