The College of Education for Pure Sciences, Department of Life Sciences, reviewed a master's thesis entitled "A Diagnostic and Epidemiological Study of the Order Phthiraptera Parasitic Lice on Some Domestic Animals in Basra Governorate." The thesis, submitted by researcher Talal Hashoush Hanfish Al-Hadidi, aimed to conduct a study from November 2024 to October 2025. It included a morphological and molecular diagnostic study of sucking and chewing lice parasitizing some domestic animals in Basra Governorate, along with an examination of aspects related to infestation in domestic animals. Samples were collected from various areas of Basra Governorate, including Al-Zubair, Abu Al-Khasib, Shatt Al-Arab, Basra City Center, Al-Qurna, Al-Madina, and Al-Haritha. The results of the diagnostic study identified 11 species of lice parasitizing some domestic animals in Basra Governorate.
The results of the current study revealed the first-ever detection of the two species Microthoracius cameli and Solenopotes capillatus in Iraq, following confirmation of their identification according to international taxonomic keys by the Natural History Museum in Baghdad.
The mammals studied were sheep, goats, buffalo, cattle, and camels. Six species were isolated from sheep: two biting lice (Damalina caprae and Damalina ovis) and four sucking lice (Linognathus africanus, Linognathus ovillus, Linognatus vituli, and Solenopotes capillatus).
Four species were recorded from goats: two biting lice (Damalina caprae and Damalina ovis) and two sucking lice (Linognathus africanus and Linognathus stenopsis). From buffalo, three species of sucking lice were collected: Haematopinus eurysternus, Haematopinus quadripertusus, and Haematopinus tuberculatus. From cattle, only one species of sucking lice, Linognathus vituli, was isolated. From camels, only one species of louse, Microthoracius cameli, was isolated
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