The genus Haematomyzus includes two species of lice that differ so markedly from all other lice that they have been placed in a suborder of their own. These unusual lice are ectoparasites of elephants and warthogs. Their mouthparts are elongated to form a drill-like structure that allows them to penetrate the thick skin of their host. The two species, Haematomyzus elephantis (the elephant louse - known only from the Indian elephant) and Haematomyzus hopkinsi (the warthog louse) belong to a single family, the Haematomyzidae.

H. elephantis is known from both the African and Asian Elephant (Price, et al, 2003).

The first spelling of "Rhyncophthirina" by Ferris was a lapse, and in subsequent use of the term he spelled it "Rhynchophthirina" adding the second "h". Ordinal names are not covered by the International Code of Nomenclature and thus the name and spelling comes down to a matter of personal preference. The majority of phthirapterists spell the suborder as "Rhynchophthirina".

Lice | Parasites