Ricinidae

The Ricinidae are a family of a larger group Amblycera of the chewing lice. All species are relatively large bodied (relative to host size) avian ectoparasites. They typically exhibit low prevalence (proportion of infested hosts) and low intensity (number of parasites per infested hosts). They feed on host blood which is atypical in chewing lice. Two or three genera are recognized. They exhibit strongly female-biased sex-ratios, especially in low-intensity infestations.