Mallophaga

An order of biting lice that cause irritation by feeding on hair, feathers, and skin, and on blood and exudates when present; most species are found on birds, but some are found on common domestic animals. The genera Menacanthus and Menopon (family Menoponidae) attack domestic fowl, as do Columbicola, Chelopistes, Lipeurus, and other genera of the family Philopteridae, while Bovicola, Felicola, and Trichodectes (family Trichodectidae) infest domestic mammals. [G. mallos, wool, + phagein, to eat]

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Mal·loph·a·ga mə-'läf-ə-gə n pl an order of wingless insects comprising the biting lice

mal·loph·a·gan -gən adj or n

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Mal·loph·a·ga (mal-ofґə-gə) [Gr. mallos wool + phagein to eat] the biting or bird lice, a large order of insects that feed on the feathers and hair of birds and sometimes attack mammals. Genera include Damalinia, Felicola, Heterodoxus, Menacanthus, and Trichodectes.