Apterygon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Apterygon |
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| A female and male A. mirum louse | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Phthiraptera |
| Family: | Menoponidae |
| Genus: | Apterygon Clay, 1961 |
| Type species | |
| Apterygon mirum Clay, 1961
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| Species | |
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Apterygon is a group of tiny insects called lice. These special lice live only in New Zealand. They are "ectoparasites," which means they live on the outside of another animal. Their hosts are kiwi birds (Apteryx). A scientist named Theresa Clay first officially described this group of lice in 1961. She had known about them since 1947 but needed more details before giving them a proper name.
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What Do They Look Like?
Apterygon lice have some unique features. For example, they do not have eyes. Their heads also have special parts that help scientists identify them.
Types of Apterygon Lice
As of 2017, scientists recognize four different species in the Apterygon group. Each species is often found on a specific type of kiwi bird.
Apterygon mirum
A. mirum is the first species described in this group. Theresa Clay named it in 1961. The first specimen found was from a North Island brown kiwi. This kiwi was found near Ōpōtiki in New Zealand. This louse species lives on kiwi birds on New Zealand's North Island.
Apterygon hintoni
Clay described a second species, A. hintoni, in 1966. Its first known host was a great spotted kiwi. This louse was found near Nelson, New Zealand. A. hintoni lives on kiwi birds on New Zealand's South Island.
Apterygon dumosum
In 1972, scientist B. K. Tandan described the third species, A. dumosum. The first specimens were found on a Stewart Island brown kiwi. This kiwi lived on Stewart Island, New Zealand. This louse species is found all over New Zealand. It also lives on the South Island brown kiwi and the little spotted kiwi.
Apterygon okarito
The fourth species, A. okarito, was described in 2004. Ricardo L. Palma and Roger D. Price published its description. Its host is the Okarito kiwi. This kiwi lives in Okarito, New Zealand. A. okarito is only found in the Westland area of New Zealand's South Island.
Who Are Their Hosts?
Lice in the Apterygon group are ectoparasites of all types of kiwi birds (Apteryx). This means they live on the outside of these birds. The only other lice that live on kiwi birds belong to a different group called Rallicola (Aptericola).
