Heptapsogasteridae

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Heptapsogasteridae (order Phthiraptera, suborder Ischnocera) Family of chewing lice, which occur in S. America where they parasitize birds of the order Tinamiformes. Heptapsogasteridae differ from other Ischnocera in the fusion of the first three abdominal segments, the first pair of abdominal spiracles appearing on the first visible segment. There are 15 genera, with about 130 species. This is a very high number of species for a host group of less than 50 species.