Pthirus

Pthirus is a genus of lice. There are only two extant species, and they are the sole known members of the family Pthiridae.[2] Pthirus gorillae infests gorillas,[3] and Pthirus pubis afflicts humans, and is commonly known as the crab louse or pubic louse.[4] The two species diverged some 3.3 million years ago.[5]

Pthirus
Pthirus gorillae
Pthirus pubis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Phthiraptera
Family: Pthiridae
Leach, 1815[1]
Genus: Pthirus
Leach, 1815[1]
Type species
Pediculus pubis

Since 1958 the generic name Pthirus has been spelled with pth rather than phth, despite this being based on a misspelling of the Greek-derived phthirus.[6]

References
  1. Brewster, David, ed. (1815). "Entomology". The Edinburgh Encyclopædia. 9. Edinburgh: Blackwood. p. 77.
  2. Berenbaum, May R. (2009). The earwig's tail: a modern bestiary of multi-legged legends. Harvard University Press. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-674-03540-9.
  3. Reed, David L.; Light, Jessica E.; Allen, Julie M.; Kirchman, Jeremy J. (2007). "Pair of lice lost or parasites regained: the evolutionary history of anthropoid primate lice". BMC Biology. 5: 7. doi:10.1186/1741-7007-5-7. PMC 1828715. PMID 17343749.
  4. Rapini, Ronald P.; Bolognia, Jean L.; Jorizzo, Joseph L. (2007). Dermatology. St. Louis, Missouri: Mosby. ISBN 978-1-4160-2999-1.
  5. Weiss, RA (2009). "Apes, lice and prehistory". J. Biol. 8 (2): 20. doi:10.1186/jbiol114. PMC 2687769. PMID 19232074.
  6. Taxonomy of Human Lice
  • Data related to Pthirus at Wikispecies


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