Menoponidae

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Menoponidae (order Phthiraptera, suborder Amblycera) Family of chewing lice which are parasitic on birds of many orders. One genus, Piagetiella, lives inside the gular pouch of pelicans and cormorants, adult females passing through the nasal holes to lay eggs on the feathers. Another genus, Actornithophilus, contains species that live inside the quills of wing feathers, feeding on the quill material. Most species of Menoponidae, however, live among the feathers of the host. It is the largest family in the suborder, and includes about 650 species in 50 genera.

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