Felicola isidoroi

Iberian lynx louse
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Psocodea
Family: Trichodectidae
Genus: Felicola
Species:
F. isidoroi
Binomial name
Felicola isidoroi
Perez & Palma, 2001[1]

Felicola isidoroi, the Iberian lynx louse, is an extinct species of trichodectid chewing louse.

Extinction[edit]

It is known only from a single specimen, a male.[2] In an example of conservation-induced extinction, it likely died out when the last survivors of its host species, the Iberian lynx, were taken into captivity and de-loused.[3] The specimen is slightly larger than males of most of the remaining species within the subgenus Lorisicola.[1] The female has never been seen. The type specimen is in the collection of the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales in Madrid.[2]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Perez, Jesus M.; Palma, Ricardo L. (2001). "A new species of Felicola (Phthiraptera: Trichodectidae) from the endangered Iberian lynx: another reason to ensure its survival" (PDF). Biodiversity and Conservation. 10 (6): 929–937. doi:10.1023/A:1016688529572.
  2. ^ a b Palma, Ricardo (19 June 2014). "The Iberian lynx and its unique louse". Museum of New Zealand.
  3. ^ Giggs, Rebecca (March 2019). "A Parasitic Relationship". The Atlantic. Vol. 323, no. 2. pp. 16–17.