''Ricinus'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
chewing lice
The Mallophaga are a possibly paraphyletic section of lice, known as chewing lice, biting lice, or bird lice, containing more than 3000 species. These lice are external parasites that feed mainly on birds, although some species also feed on mamma ...
which parasitise birds. It is the largest-bodied genus of chewing lice found parasitizing
Passeriformes
A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped') which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines generally have an anisodactyl arrangement of their ...
.
[ ][Bernard C. Nelson (1972): ''A Revision of the New World Species of ''Ricinus'' (Mallophaga). Occurring on Passeriformes (Aves)'', University of California Publications in Entomology Volume 68, University of California Press, Berkeley & Los Angeles,]
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References
Lice
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