{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T16:26:38Z","timestamp":1787243198879,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,17]],"date-time":"2021-11-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1637107200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,17]],"date-time":"2021-11-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1637107200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Parasites Vectors"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      The male genital structures of arthropods are key features in the taxonomic and phylogenetic study of these organisms. The male genitalia of the head louse\n                      <jats:italic>Pediculus humanus capitis<\/jats:italic>\n                      are complex organs which are partly composed of structures that dynamically extrude during copulation.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Here, we describe the morphology of the genitalia of\n                      <jats:italic>P. humanus capitis<\/jats:italic>\n                      at the copulation stage, and at rest, by using stereoscopic microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>CLSM and SEM images revealed that the vesica is composed of two distinct anatomical parts, the proximal lobe and the distal lobe. Both lobes have short and narrow spines, as well as long and wide scales with either sharp or rounded tips. The rounded scales vary in size and have a wavy base and rounded tips, and thus resemble a tongue in appearance. We identified a gland-like area on the penis with 11 shallow circular depressions, and a flat area with 14\u201316 exit orifices. The apical end of the penis has a foliaceous trifurcation and serves to expel the contents of the ejaculatory duct. These characteristics were recorded for all the specimens analyzed, indicating that these structures are highly conserved; to our knowledge, they have not been previously reported for any suborder of lice.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      To the best of our knowledge, our results reveal for the first time the morphological details, and complexity, of the male genitalia of the head louse\n                      <jats:italic>P. humanus capitis<\/jats:italic>\n                      at different stages of copulation. The new approach described here provided information that should be taken into consideration in future research on the genitalia of lice. Application of this approach will also impact the taxonomic and phylogenetic study of other insect taxa.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Graphical Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-021-05082-w","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,17]],"date-time":"2021-11-17T06:03:18Z","timestamp":1637128998000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Pediculus humanus capitis: a study of the male genitalia using a combined stereoscopic, confocal laser scanning, and scanning electron microscopy approach"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Blanca E.","family":"\u00c1lvarez-Fern\u00e1ndez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0785-1492","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mar\u00eda","family":"Morales-Su\u00e1rez-Varela","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Benjam\u00edn","family":"Nogueda-Torres","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"M. Adela","family":"Valero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"5082_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"350","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-3113.2005.00323.x","volume":"31","author":"K Yoshizawa","year":"2006","unstructured":"Yoshizawa K, Johnson KP. Morphology of male genitalia in lice and their relatives and phylogenetic implications. Syst Entomol. 2006;31:350\u201361. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.1365-3113.2005.00323.x.","journal-title":"Syst Entomol"},{"key":"5082_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1590\/S0036-46652014000200005","volume":"56","author":"JMF Dutra","year":"2014","unstructured":"Dutra JMF, Alves AD, Pessanha T, Rachid R, De Souza W, Linardi PM, et al. Prehistorical Pediculus humanus capitis infestation: quantitative data and low vacuum scanning microscopy. 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Mitochondrial diversity and phylogeographic analysis of Pediculus humanus reveals a new Amazonian clade \u201cF.\u201d Infect Genet Evol. 2019;70:1\u20138. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.meegid.2019.02.006.","journal-title":"Infect Genet Evol"},{"key":"5082_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1120","DOI":"10.1645\/GE-1966.1","volume":"95","author":"P Tryjanowski","year":"2009","unstructured":"Tryjanowski P, Adamski Z, Dylewska M, Bulkai L, R\u00f3zsa L. Demographic correlates of sexual size dimorphism and male genital size in the lice Philopterus coarctatus. J Parasitol. 2009;95:1120\u20134.","journal-title":"J Parasitol"},{"key":"5082_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"439","DOI":"10.21829\/azm.2014.302121","volume":"30","author":"M Zunino","year":"2014","unstructured":"Zunino M. About dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) genitalia: some remarks to a recent paper. 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For the collection of lice, the necessary permits were obtained from the municipal and school authorities. Informed consent was obtained from the parents before their children participated in the study, and verbal assent was also required from the children. The collection of lice was conducted in accordance with the recommendations of the Declaration of Helsinki, World Medical Assembly, 2013.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethics approval and consent to participate"}},{"value":"Not applicable.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent for publication"}},{"value":"The authors declare that they have no competing interests.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"577"}}