The first description of the nymphal stages of Hoplopleura longula (Psocodea: Anoplura: Hoplopleuridae) from the harvest mouse Micromys minutus (Rodentia: Muridae)

Abstract

Despite the widespread belief that an extensive body of knowledge exists for the sucking lice Anoplura, some of their common, Eurasian or even cosmopolitan species still lack ordered taxonomic descriptions, especially those of their nymphal stages. This applies especially to the most common rodent parasites: the lice of the genus Hoplopleura. In Europe, only two of the five most common species have full taxonomic characteristics with a description of the immature stages. This study enriches the current state of knowledge for another species, Hoplopleura longula, and presents the first description of its nymphs.The study includes five rare lice specimens (two nymphs I, one nymph II, two nymphs III) of H. longula collected from 63 Eurasian harvest mice Micromys minutus. The collected lice were fixed and preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol solution, and then dumped in polyvinyl-lactophenol to form total preparations.Only two from five species found in Eurasia (H. acanthopus, H. affinis, H. captiosa, H. edentula, H. longula) have been given full taxonomic descriptions including juvenile stages. This paper presents a description of nymphs H. longula (described for the first time).