Editing Ischnocera

{{Short description|Suborder of lice}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Strigiphilus sp..JPG
| image_caption = Undetermined ''[[Strigiphilus]]'' species from a [[Ural owl]] (''Strix uralensis''), side view
| display_parents = 3
| taxon = Ischnocera
| subdivision_ranks = [[Family (biology)|Families]]
| subdivision =
* '''Philopteroidea''' (superfamily)
** [[Goniodidae]]
** [[Heptapsogasteridae]]
** [[Lipeuridae]]
** [[Philopteridae]]
** [[Trichophilopteridae]]
| subdivision_ref = <ref name="PsocodeaSpeciesFile">{{Cite web| website = Psocodea Species File |title = Ischnocera Kellogg, 1896 |last1 = Hopkins |first1 = H. |last2 = Johnson |first2 = K. P. |last3 = Smith |first3 = V. S. |url = https://psocodea.speciesfile.org/otus/879883/overview |access-date=May 16, 2025}}</ref>
}}

'''Ischnocera''' is a large [[parvorder]] of [[lice]] from the [[infraorder]] [[Phthiraptera]] that are [[parasite|parasitic]] on [[bird]]s. It is a chewing louse, which feeds on the feathers and skin debris of birds. Many of the avian Ischnocera have evolved an elongated body shape. This allows them to conceal themselves between the feather shafts and avoid being dislodged during [[preening]] or flight. Ischnocera contains the large [[family (biology)|family]] [[Philopteridae]], plus a few other minor families.

==Classification==
Ischnocera previously also included the mammalian parasitic lice of [[Trichodectera]]. However, several [[phylogenetic]] studies had found the grouping to be [[paraphyletic]], specifically in regards to the two major families [[Philopteridae]] and [[Trichodectidae]]. In order to resolve this, in 2020 de Moya ''et al.'' proposed retaining the majority of the species (including Philopteridae) within Ischnocera, and then moving Trichodectidae to its own grouping called [[Trichodectera]].<ref name="deMoya2021">{{Cite journal|last1=de Moya|first1=Robert S|last2=Yoshizawa|first2=Kazunori|last3=Walden|first3=Kimberly K O|last4=Sweet|first4=Andrew D|last5=Dietrich|first5=Christopher H|last6=Kevin P|first6=Johnson|date=2021-06-16|editor-last=Buckley|editor-first=Thomas|title=Phylogenomics of Parasitic and Nonparasitic Lice (Insecta: Psocodea): Combining Sequence Data and Exploring Compositional Bias Solutions in Next Generation Data Sets|url=https://academic.oup.com/sysbio/article/70/4/719/5912026|journal=Systematic Biology|language=en|volume=70|issue=4|pages=719–738|doi=10.1093/sysbio/syaa075|pmid=32979270|issn=1063-5157|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Below is a [[cladogram]] showing the position of Ischnocera within [[Phthiraptera]]:<ref name="deMoya2021"/>
{{clade| style=font-size:85%; line-height:100%
 |label1='''[[Phthiraptera]]'''
 |1={{clade
  |1={{clade
   |label1='''Ischnocera'''
   |1=[[Philopteridae]]
   |2={{clade
    |1={{clade
     |1=[[Anoplura]]
     |2=[[Rhynchophthirina]] }}
    |label2=[[Trichodectera]]
    |2=[[Trichodectidae]] }} }}
  |2=[[Amblycera]] }} }}

==List of families==
Ischnocera currently consists of the following families:<ref name="PsocodeaSpeciesFile"/>
* '''Philopteroidea''' (superfamily)
** [[Goniodidae]]
** [[Heptapsogasteridae]]
** [[Lipeuridae]]
** [[Philopteridae]]
** [[Trichophilopteridae]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Psocodea|2}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q3155167}}

[[Category:Lice]]