Phthirapteran eggs are highly polymorphic and often exhibits variety of markings/projections/sculpturing. The egg chorion of Dinopium benghalense (Linnaeus, 1758) louse is smooth and ovoid in shape. The egg mouth is covered with a dome-shaped operculum and bears 22-24 typical button-shaped micropyles. The rear end of the egg shell bears a prominent bee hive-like stigma or hydropyle. The present report furnishes the first information on the egg shell morphology of an ischnoceran louse, Penenirmus pici Fabricius, 1798, parasitizing Dinopium benghalense (Linnaeus, 1758) through the scanning electron microscopy.

Penenirmus pici, Dinopium benghalense, egg chorion, Phthiraptera, Ootaxonomy, SEM

There is no information on the eggshell morphology of any species occurring on Dinopium benghalense (Linnaeus, 1758). Hence the present report furnishes the first information on the nature of eggshell architecture of the ischnoceran louse, Penenirmus pici Fabricius, 1798 infesting bird Black-rumped flameback Dinopium benghalense (Linnaeus, 1758) through SEM.

Aftab Ahmad and Gaurav Sharma (2023). Ootaxonomy of Penenirmus pici Fabricius, 1798 (Insecta: Phthiraptera) infesting Dinopium benghalense (Linnaeus, 1758) (Aves: Picidae). Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(12): 25-28.