Elephant louse
The elephant louse is a specialized parasitic insect that exclusively inhabits elephants, making it one of only two species in the genus Haematomyzus, with the other being the warthog louse. This insect is found primarily in Southeastern Asia, Africa, and within zoos. Measuring up to 1/10 of an inch (two millimeters) long, the elephant louse has a flat, oval-shaped body that is brown, white, or yellow, equipped with six legs that help it cling to the short hairs on an elephant's tough skin.
It feeds on the blood, skin flakes, and bodily fluids of its host by using its long, pointed mouthparts, called a rostrum, to pierce the skin. Without wings and unable to jump, it relies on close proximity to transfer between hosts, typically guided by the odor and heat of the elephants. The lifespan of an elephant louse ranges from 15 to 40 days, during which time the female attaches her eggs to the elephant's hairs using a quick-drying cement. Despite their parasitic nature, elephant lice play a role in the ecology of their host species, reflecting the intricate relationships found in nature.
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Elephant louse
The elephant louse is one of the 5,000 species of lice, and it lives as a parasite only on elephants. This insect bores its pointed snout into the thick skin and feeds on blood, fluids, and skin flakes.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Anthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Phthiraptera
Family: Haematomyzidae
Genus: Haematomyzus
Species: Elephantis
Elephant louse is one of only two species in the genus Haematomyzus and the family Haematomyzidae. The other species is the warthog louse. The elephant louse is a highly specialized insect which is found only on elephants, and so it is found only in Southeastern Asia, Africa, and in zoos. Other lice species have similar habits and lifestyles and also only live on particular species of animals.
The elephant louse is a parasite. A parasite is an animal that lives inside or on the surface of another animal or plant. The animal or plant on which the parasite lives is called a host. The parasite survives by feeding on some part of the host's body, blood, fluids, or waste products. The thick, tough, dry skin of elephants provides the elephant louse with a place to live. With the claw on each of its six legs it clings to the short hairs on the elephant's body.
The body of the louse is flat, long, and oval-shaped. Its brown, white, or yellow body has ring-like segments and many short sensory hairs for detecting its surroundings. Ahead of its abdomen, or lower body section, the louse has six short legs on its thorax, or mid-body section. In front of the thorax is the small head with its pair of short but sensitive antennae. From its head to the tip of its abdomen the elephant louse may measure up to 1/10 of an inch (two millimeters) long. This measurement does not include its long mouthparts. The long, pointed mouthparts of the elephant louse are called a rostrum. The rostrum is strong enough to bite into the thick, tough skin of the elephant. It then feeds on the flakes of skin, blood, and other bodily fluids.
The louse's legs are strong for gripping but are not able to jump. It also does not have wings, and so it does not travel between elephants unless they are touching each other or within one foot of each other, in which case the louse may be blown on the breeze or carried by a fly. Like other lice, the elephant louse is guided to its host by the host species' particular odor and the heat radiating from its body. A louse may die after only 12 hours or survive for two or three days between meals.
An elephant in the wild probably is not able to get rid of a louse except by rolling on the ground to crush it. Going underwater does not drown the louse, since it is able to survive underwater for one to two days. An elephant in the zoo may receive special baths to kill the louse.
The female louse produces hard cement which dries quickly. She uses this to attach her clumps of eggs to the hairs on the elephant's body. After several days, the young hatch from their hard shells. Each young breaks a small hole in the top of its shell and breathes in air. This air passes out its anus, or rear end, and forms a pocket of air under high pressure in the bottom of the shell. When the pressure reaches a certain level, the top of the shell bursts open, and the young louse crawls out. It molts, or sheds its skin, over the next several days and then becomes an adult. Elephant louse have a lifespan of 15 to 40 days.
Bibliography
“Elephant Lice - Elephant Lice.” Southern Thailand Elephant Foundation, 17 Mar. 2021, southernthailandelephants.org/elephant-lice/. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Gomez, Pablo. “Haematomyzus Elephantis.” Animal Diversity Web, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Haematomyzus‗elephantis/. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Mikota, Susan, et al. “Parasitology.” Elephant Medicine, www.elephantmedicine.info/parasitology. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.