Sucking lice

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Anoplura

Sheep lice have translucent bodies and a proportionally large head and abdomen

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:'''	Insecta
Order:	Phthiraptera
Suborder:	Anoplura

Families

    Echinophthiriidae (seal lice)
    Enderleinellidae
    Haematopinidae (ungulate lice)
    Hamophthiriidae
    Hoplopleuridae (armoured lice)
    Hybothiridae
    Linognathidae (pale lice)
    Microthoraciidae
    Neolinognathidae
    Pecaroecidae
    Pedicinidae
    Pediculidae (body lice)
    Phthiridae (public lice)
    Polyplacidae (spiny rat lice)
    Ratemiidae

Sucking lice (Anoplura) have around 500 species and represent the smaller of the two traditional suborders of lice. The Anoplura are all blood-feeding ectoparasites of mammals. They can cause localised skin irritations and are vectorss of several blood-borne diseases.

At least three species of Anoplura are parasites of humans. Pediculus humanus is divided into two subspecies, Pediculus humanus humanus, or the body louse, sometimes nicknamed "the seam squirrel" for its habit of laying of eggs in the seams of clothing, and Pediculus humanus capitis, or the head louse. Phthirus pubis (the pubic louse) is the cause of the embarrassing condition known as crabs.