The distribution of the eggs of Mammalian Lice on their hosts. 1. Description of the Oviposition behaviour.

Abstract

The behaviour patterns of Damalinia ovis (L.), Linognathus stenopsis (Burm.), and Haematopinus eurysternus (Nitz.) were found to be similar and readily divisible into three stages. In the first stage the louse sought the warm end of a temperature gradient. There it entered upon the second stage in which it remained stationary for a variable period with its head pointed towards the warm end. In D. ovis there was marked abdominal movement. The third stage lasted only 3 or 4 min and culminated in the deposition of the egg. In this stage the louse suddenly turned about and attached the egg to the fibre, sometimes backing into the warmer end first. This resulted in eggs being aligned similarly with the end of attachment nearest to the warm end of the temperature gradient. It is suggested that the behaviour patterns of these lice are adapted to common physical characteristics of the environments in which they live, notably the presence of a temperature gradient.