New Zealand Invertebrates

DSC_8447 Albatross feather-chewing louse (Harrisoniella hopkinsi) among the worlds largest lice, this male is 9mm long. There are usually fewer than half a dozen adult specimens found on any single host bird - typically other species of feather lice may number in the hundreds. This species is mostly found under the wings of large albatrosses; the louse is shaped to lie along the shaft of the wing feathers of Royal and Wandering albatross species. Feather lice radiated in response to the evolution of feathers - probably on the early therapod dinosaurs. Albatross and their dependant lice co-evolved between 40 and 50 million years ago making this a very old relationship indeed. Taiaroa Head, Otago Peninsula *

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DSC_8447 Albatross feather-chewing louse (Harrisoniella hopkinsi) among the worlds largest lice, this male is 9mm long. There are usually fewer than half a dozen adult specimens found on any single host bird - typically other species of feather lice may number in the hundreds. This species is mostly found under the wings of large albatrosses; the louse is shaped to lie along the shaft of the wing feathers of Royal and Wandering albatross species. Feather lice radiated in response to the evolution of feathers - probably on the early therapod dinosaurs. Albatross and their dependant lice co-evolved between 40 and 50 million years ago making this a very old relationship indeed. Taiaroa Head, Otago Peninsula *

DSC_8447 Royal albatross feather louse Harrisoniella ferox densa hopkinsi large wing feather louse chewing lice Royal albatross host male Taiaroa Head Otago Peninsula