DENSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF CATTLE LICE (PHTHIRAPTERA, HAEMATOPINIDAE, LINOGNATHIDAE, TRICHODECTIDAE) ON 6 STEERS

The density and distribution of four species of cattle louse, Bovicola bovis (L.), Haematopinus eurysternus (Nitzsch), Linognathus vituli (L .), and Solenopotes capillatus (Enderlein), were elucidated from the h ides of six slaughtered steers. Adult and nymphal lice were first remo ved from one hide by hand and the location of each specimen mapped. Th e remaining lice were removed by a detergent wash, and KOH dissolution of hide and hair. Lice from the remaining five hides were removed usi ng KOH dissolution of cattle hair and subsequent filtration of the eff luent. Bovicola bovis was most abundant, followed by H. eurysternus, L . vituli and S. capillatus. Significant variation was observed in B. b ovis, H. eurysternus and L. vituli population densities. Solenopotes c apillatus population densities did not differ significantly. All speci es were contagiously distributed, i.e. 'clumped', suggesting species d ependant predilection sites, Predilection sites were ranked according to louse density to facilitate the development of field sampling strat egies. Additional biological data were gathered on sex and life stage ratios for each species. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.