Overview
The species in this family are best known as parasites of ungulates, and those present in Australia are important pests of domestic stock:
Haematopinus
eurysternus
and
H
.
quadripertusus
on cattle,
H
.
suis
on pigs, and
H
.
asini
on horses.
H
.
tuberculatus
is common on buffalo (
Bubalus
bubalis
) in northern Australia, and is occasionally found on cattle.
Description
Head relatively small; mouth-parts developed into an unjointed more or less pointed beak, or rounded anteriorly, without mandibles. Head with distinct eyes or ocular points behind antennae. Head with prominent ocular points but without eyes with lens; on ungulates
.