Felicola isidoroi (Iberian Lynx Louse)

[Melanie]

The case of the most endangered wild cat in the world, the Iberian lynx and its unique louse, is another example which, at present, is the subject of active research in Spain and Portugal. I was involved in the original description and naming of the Iberian lynx louse (as Felicola isidoroi) based on a single male found on one dead wild lynx in 1997 (Pérez & Palma 2001). This louse species has not been found again on the many other lynxes searched for lice since then. Consequently, the female of the Iberian lynx louse is still unknown and, judging from the estimated number of surviving lynxes and the lack of any other lice found, it is believed that this unique species may already be extinct (Anonymous 2014).

blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2014/06/19/the-iberian-lynx-and-its-unique-louse/

[Sebbe]

How many threatened lice are there? An approximation to the red list of the Spanish Phthiraptera.

Although the idea of conserving parasites as part of biodiversity is not new, these in general and lice in particular, are not included in the threatened list of invertebrate fauna. Assuming that the conservation status of a lice species is similar to that of its host, the number of threatened lice within the Spanish entomofauna was estimated based on the known host-lice assemblages. The lice parasitizing many of the Spanish birds and mammals are unknown. Overall, I found 6 extinct (EX) species; 4 critically endangered (CR); 15 endangered (EN), 7 vulnerable (VU) and 1 species near threatened (NT), at regional level. Since the status of hosts varies through time and space, it, (together with those of their lice, must be periodically updated. In addition to a number of reasons that justify the conservation of parasites, lice deserve being conserved, particularly, because of their scientific value.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224423001049?via%3Dihub