Abstract

Mesophthirus engeli (Mesophthiridae incerti ordinis), described as a feather-feeding parasite of dinosaurs, has recently been reinterpreted as an early instar nymph (crawler) of a primitive scale insect. Mesophthirus has no specific similarities to bird lice, although life on feathers should modify parasites in a similar way. Based on re-examination of photographs of the type specimens of M. engeli, the subfamily Mesophthirinae stat. nov. is assigned to the archaic extant family Xylococcidae s.l. (recorded since the Hauterivian), next to the extant subfamilies Xylococcinae and Stigmacoccinae. Xylococcid honeydew is an important food resource for birds and other arboreal vertebrates. Like their modern relatives, Mesophthirinae lived under the bark of trees and produced copious honeydew. Early birds and their precursors, small feathered dinosaurs, may well have fed on honeydew and the mesophthirines themselves. Scale insect crawlers are adapted to wind transport and phoresy on insects and vertebrates, so finding Mesophthirus on feathers is expected.

中文翻译：

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缅甸琥珀羽毛上的鳞翅目昆虫 Mesophthirus (Homoptera: Xylococccidae) 爬行动物——恐龙身上的风运输或 Phoresy？

摘要

Mesophthirus engeli (Mesophthiridae incerti ordinis )，被描述为一种以羽毛为食的恐龙寄生虫，最近被重新解释为一种原始介壳虫的早期若虫（爬行动物）。Mesophthirus与鸟虱没有特别的相似之处，尽管羽毛上的生命应该以类似的方式改变寄生虫。基于对M. engeli模式标本照片的复查，亚科 Mesophthirinae stat。十一月 被分配到古老的现存家族 Xylococccidae sl （自 Hauterivian 开始记录），在现存的 Xylococcinae 和 Stigmacoccinae 亚科旁边。木球菌蜜露是鸟类和其他树栖脊椎动物的重要食物资源。像它们的现代近亲一样，Mesophthirinae 生活在树皮下，生产大量的蜜露。早起的鸟类及其前身，小型羽毛恐龙，很可能以蜜露和间食虫类本身为食。介壳虫爬行者适应风力运输和昆虫和脊椎动物的游动，因此预计在羽毛上发现Mesophthirus。