mallophagous

English

Adjective

mallophagous (not comparable)

1. Feeding on feathers.
   • 1988 January 14, T. de Meeûs, “Santa Rosalia Revisited: or Why Are There So Many Kinds of Parasites in 'The Garden of Earthly Delights'?”, in Parasitology Today:

     The bird Ibis falcinellus is parasitized by at least seven species of mallophagous insects, each of which is specialized on a single feather type.

Related terms

• mallophagan