Lipoptena cervi
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Lipoptena cervi Linnaeus, 1758 - (common deer ked)
This species of louse flies is a blood sucking ectoparasite that mainly feeds on moose and other types of deer. It is common in northern parts of Europe and occasionally also bites humans, dogs and other domestic animals, causing dermatitis. It has been introduced into North America in the 1800s. L. cervi can contain disease agents like Bartonella, Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (anaplasmosis), see Buss et al. (2016). In addition, heavy infestations can cause serious illness in deer and moose. Up to 17,000 Lipoptena have been recorded on a single animal.
The adults are 5-6 mm long and live in the deep layers of the fur of their host. The females are viviparous and give birth to a mature larva which quickly pupates and falls to the ground. Young winged adults emerge in the late summer and autumn. They typically sit on vegetation waiting for a suitable host to approach them. After flying to a host and settling on it, they start sucking its blood and shed their wings.
| Vernacular names | |
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| • Deutsch: | Hirschlausfliege |
| • English: | deer ked deer fly |
