These findings lend insight into the factors that drive large-scale patterns of ectoparasite distributions.

One hundred eighty-one dogs and 26 short-hair cats from suburban areas around Tirana, Albania were examined for ectoparasite infestation.

Experiments that manipulate the bill hook and pectinate claw are needed to confirm whether these host characters are involved in ectoparasite defense.

The bed bug, Cimex lectularius, has re-established itself as a ubiquitous human ectoparasite throughout much of the world during the past two decades.

As the second most important human ectoparasite, ranked only after mosquitoes, the tick threatens the development of husbandry and even the health of humans worldwide.