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Louse

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The purpose of TFBIS (Terrestrial and Freshwater Biodiversity Information Systems) funding for digitising specimen records of louse specimens (plural = lice; order Phthiraptera) was to improve access to information about this important group of insects which are ectoparasites on animals.

TFBIS funding was provided to record collecting events from major collections in New Zealand, including NZAC, so as to achieve as wide a coverage as possible. Information provided on microscope slides was provided, especially the host as well as the collection locality, and the identifier of the specimen. A collecting event was considered to be a record of a species collected from a locality on a particular date by a collector. Each collecting event may consist of a single specimen or many specimens.

In total, there are 388 collecting events, referring to 1224 specimens mounted on 690 slides. This information is available as a downloadable Excel spreadsheet to allow users to rearrange the information for their own purposes.

To view louse specimen records for the Museum of N.Z Te Papa Tongarewa, go to their Collections Online website.

Links to louse specimen information for NZAC

These specimen records are provided on the understanding that the names with specimens reflect the curation status up to 2009, and the identity of all specimens has not necessarily been validated by a specialist. Any queries should be directed to the curator providing the information.

  • NZAC, New Zealand Arthropod Collection, Landcare Research, Auckland (Dr T. K. Crosby; digitisation overseen by W.R. Webber and R. L. Palma, Museum of N.Z Te Papa Tongarewa)