Polyplax reclinata (Nitzsch, 1864)

Pediculus reclinatus Nitzsch, 1864: 23 .

Haematopinus reclinatus (Nitzsch, 1864); Giebel 1874: 37.

Haematopinus reclinatus (Nitzsch, 1864); Piaget 1880: 639.

Polyplax reclinata (Nitzsch, 1864); Enderlein 1904a: 142.

Hoplopleura reclinata (Nitzsch, 1864); Enderlein 1904b: 222.

Haematopinus (Polyplax) spiniger reclinatus (Nitzsch); Neumann 1909: 524.

Polyplax reclinata (Nitzsch, 1864); Fahrenholz 1912a: 37, figs 11–12, pl. 1: figs 12–14, pl. 2: figs 1–4, pl. 3: fig. 7. Polyplax reclinata (Nitzsch, 1864); Ferris 1923: 192, figs 120C, G.

Polyplax reclinata leucodontis Jancke, 1932: 525, fig. 2b.

Polyplax reclinata reclinata (Nitzsch); Jancke 1932: 525, fig. 2a.

Polyplax reclinata (Nitzsch); Fahrenholz 1938: 254, figs 9–11.

Polyplax deltoides Fahrenholz, 1938: 256, figs 12, 23d.

Polyplax reclinata leucodontis Jancke; Fahrenholz 1938: 256.

Polyplax deltoides Fahrenholz, 1938; Ferris 1951: 207.

Polyplax reclinata (Nitzsch, 1864); Ferris 1951: 210.

Polyplax shimizui Kaneko, 1957: 271, fig. 2.

Polyplax reclinata (Nitzsch, 1864); Johnson 1960: 55.

Polyplax reclinata (Nitzsch, 1864); Johnson 1964: 83.

Polyplax reclinata (Nitzsch, 1864); Beaucournu & Houin 1967: 67, figs 1–6.

Polyplax reclinata (Nitzsch); Benoit 1969: 102, fig. 7.

Polyplax reclinata (Nitzsch, 1864); Kim 1971: 51, figs 11–13.

Polyplax reclinata (Nitzsch, 1864); Mishra 1981: 98, figs 223–225.

Polyplax reclinata (Nitzsch, 1864); Durden & Musser 1994: 72.

Type host: Sorex araneus Linnaeus, 1758 —Common shrew

Malaysian host: Suncus murinus (Linnaeus, 1766) .

Malaysian locality: Kuala Lumpur & Selangor, Peninsular Malaysia (Johnson 1964) .

Geographical distribution: Africa, Eurasia (Durden & Musser 1994; Price & Graham 1997).

Remarks: Polyplax reclinata has been reported and redescribed by several authors (see synonymy above) and is regarded as polytypic (Beaucournu & Houin 1967; Kim & Emerson 1974). Johnson (1960, 1964) discussed the morphological variation of P. reclinata and provided a list of synonyms. Beaucournu & Houin (1967) discussed and illustrated in detail the diverse morphology of P. reclinata from various hosts. Kim (1971) described and illustrated the three nymphal instars of P. reclinata . This louse is known to infest a wide range of species of the genera Crocidura, Neomys, Scutisorex, Sorex, Suncus and Sylvisorex in the family Soricidae (Kim & Emerson 1974; Durden & Musser 1994). The known host species of P. reclinata were listed by Durden & Musser (1994), noting that future studies may even expand the number of hosts.