New Zealand Invertebrates

DSC_8512 Albatross feather-chewing louse (Harrisoniella hopkinsi) female. These are among the worlds largest lice, with males up to 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. 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_8512 Albatross feather-chewing louse (Harrisoniella hopkinsi) female. These are among the worlds largest lice, with males up to 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. 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_8512 Royal albatross feather louse Harrisoniella ferox densa hopkinsi large wing feather louse chewing lice Royal albatross host female Taiaroa Head Otago Peninsula