Polyplax spinulosa (Burmeister, 1839)
(Rat Louse)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesPolyplax spinulosa (Rat Louse)
GenusPolyplax (a genus of sucking lice)
FamilyPOLYPLACIDAE (a family of sucking lice)
SuborderANOPLURA (lice)
OrderPHTHIRAPTERA (sucking lice, louse)
Division Exopterygota (earwigs, grasshoppers, stoneflies, true bugs, and other insects with wings developing externally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Polyplax spinulosa (Rat Louse) :
1: Polyplax spinulosa (Rat Louse)
28 Sep 2007 OSGR: SU56 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Adults and nymphs on dead young brown rat, with Rat Fleas (Nosophyllus fasciatus) and the tick, Ixodes trianguliceps
Image 1: Adult - dorsal surface - microscope low magnification - white backgroundImage 2: Adult - ventral surface - microscope low magnification - white backgroundImage 3: Nymph - dorsal surface - microscope low magnification - white backgroundImage 4: Nymph - ventral surface - microscope low magnification - white background

Polyplax spinulosa (Rat Louse) may be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Polyplax spinulosa (Rat Louse)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 2 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Polyplax spinulosa (Rat Louse)
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