Mallophagan
/məˈlɒf.ə.ɡən/noun
A chewing louse or a member of the former insect group Mallophaga, whose members feed by biting and chewing rather than sucking.
Did you know?Although once treated as the order Mallophaga, chewing lice are now generally classified within the broader louse order Phthiraptera, making the name historically important but taxonomically outdated.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
μαλλός (mallos)
“A fleece or tuft of wool”
Ancient Greek
Greek
φαγεῖν (phagein)
“To eat or devour”
1818
Scientific Latin
Mallophaga
“A taxonomic group of chewing lice, named as “wool-eaters””
19th Century
Scientific English
mallophagan
“Relating to or belonging to Mallophaga”
Modern English
English
mallophagan
“A chewing louse or a member of the former Mallophaga group”
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