chewing louse

plural chewing lice

1. Any true louse that is not a sucking louse; a mallophagan.

   There are cases where more than one species of chewing louse may infest the same host species and the lice may prefer living on specific parts of the host's body.

   2003, William S. Romoser, “Chapter 3: Introduction to ArthropodsSystematis, Behavior and Ecology”, in B.F. Eldridge, J.D. Edman, editors, Medical Entomology, page 60

   2 more examples

   Many of the chewing lice are highly host specific, but a few may occur on a variety of not more than a half dozen related host species. They feed on skin (epidermal cells), hair, feathers, body oils and secretions, dried blood (wounds), and even other ectoparasites, such as mites. Chewing lice are unable to survive for more than a day or two off the host and their dispersal is through direct contact of host animals.

   1996, Gary A. Dunn, Insects of the Great Lakes Region, page 105

   Lice have traditionally been divided into chewing lice (Mallophaga) and sucking lice (Anoplura) based on the structure of their mouthparts and the resulting feeding strategy.

   2013, Timothy M. Goater, Cameron P. Goater, Gerald W. Esch, Parasitism: The Diversity and Ecology of Animal Parasites, page 313

   Synonyms: bird louse, biting louse