Haematopinus suis

Haematopinus eurysternus
Class	Insecta
Order	Phthiraptera
Family	Haematopinidae
Species	Haematopinus eurysternus

Also known as: Hog louse

Haematopinus suis is a large sucking louse found worldwide in pigs, and is believed to be the vector of African Swine Fever.

Identification

H. suis is a large greyish brown louse, currently the largest louse found on the domestic species at 5mm. They have long mouthparts used for the sucking the blood of the host, in this case, the pig. All of its legs are of similar sizes.

Life Cycle

Eggs are deposited on the host by the female and require 13-15 days before hatching into nymphs. The nymphs then take around 2 weeks to become reproductive adults.

The entire life cycle occurs on the host.

Literature Search

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Haematopinus suis publications