Parasites of birds and mammals. Most specialize on only one or a few species of hosts.
Life Cycle
Eggs are attached to the hair or feathers of the host by a drop of waterproof glue. Larvae hatch from the eggs and join the adults in feeding. They molt as they grow but change little in aspect: paurometablolous
Remarks
Some are important pests of domestic animals, especially poultry(1)
Attach themselves to the bodies of hippoboscid flies that parasitize birds; this carries this lice from host to host.(2)