Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of Chicken (poultry) louse (Menopon gallinae). The chicken body louse is wingless and flattened. They have

---

Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of Chicken (poultry) louse (Menopon gallinae). The chicken body louse is wingless and flattened. They have two sharp claws that they use to scratch the surface of the chicken for food. They occur wherever poultry hosts can be found. This chewing louse feeds on skin fragments, feathers and debris and causes the host's skin to be irritated, red, and scabby. As a result, infested birds lose weight and layers decrease egg production. Extremely heavy infestations can kill poultry. Magnification: x10 when shortest axis printed at 25 millimetres.

---

Size: 2646px × 3302px
Photo credit: © DENNIS KUNKEL MICROSCOPY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 21156b, amblycera, animal, bird, biting, body, chewing, chicken, colored, coloured, ectoparasite, electron, false-colored, false-coloured, fowl, gallinae, guinea, insect, insects, invertebrate, invertebrates, lice, louse, mallophaga, menopon, menoponidae, micrograph, migratory, parasite, parasitic, pest, phthiraptera, poultry, scanning, sem, shaft