As a rule, mallophagans are host-specific, each species being restricted and adapted to a single bird species or groups of closely related bird species.
Source: wiktionary
Mallophagan
Synonyms for "mallophagan" (1 found)
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Most are associated with birds (although at least one hundred species deign to dine on mammalian body tissues); the majority of mallophagans on birds (and hence the majority of mallophagans in general) have a pair of well-developed claws on the tips of their tarsi.
Source: wiktionary
While these mouthparts are not primarily designed to pierce skin some mallophagans do feed on blood. Menacanthus stramineus, a present-day mallophagan, feeds at the base of feathers or on the skin of the chicken.
Source: wiktionary
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.