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Colpocephalum is a genus of chewing louse. Christian Ludwig Nitzsch named the genus in 1818. The Plenary Powers of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature selected Colpocephalum zebra as its type species in the 1950s. There are approximately 135 species in this genus, and they are ectoparasites of birds in at least a dozen different orders.
However, in 1906, Louis Georges Neumann designated " Liotheum ( Colpocephalum) zebra " as the type species for this taxon instead. Other phthirapterists followed Neumann's designation. In 1948, Hopkins petitioned the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) to officially allow this species to remain the genus's type species instead of " Liotheum ( Colpocephalum) ochraceum; this was published in 1951. Hopkins also notes that L. ( C.) ochraceum is congeneric with Colpocephalum uniseriatum , the type species of Actornithophilus, which would further complicate the situation. As the species C. zebra only became valid with Hermann Burmeister's species description of Colpocephalum zebra in 1838, he requested that the Plenary Powers of the ICZN designate Colpocephalum zebra as the type species of Colpocephalum in order to "avoid disastrous confusion."
Prior to petitioning the ICZN, Hopkins asked other experts in Mallophaga for their opinion on this matter. He received support from W. Büttiker, Theresa Clay, W. Eichler, , , W. J. Jellison, S. v. Kéler, R. Meinertzhagen, E. O'Mahony, G. B. Thompson and F. L. Werneck; he received opposition from J. Bequaert and J. E. Webb, who both opposed the use of Plenary Powers in general. Later support came from Ernst Mayr. In 1952, the ICZN voted 17 to 0 in favor of Hopkins's proposal. The members of the commission who voted affirmatively were, in the order their ballots were received, N. D. Riley, E. M. Hering, W. T. Calman, J. R. Dymond, , P. B. Bonnet, Harold Vokes, A. do Amaral, J. Pearson, J. C. Bradley, Francis Hemming, Teiso Esaki, H. Lemche, Robert Mertens, Á. Cabrera, N. R. Stoll, and Hilbrand Boschma. A ballot was not received from T. Jaczewski, the remaining member of the commission. The decision was published as part of Opinion 342 in 1955.
Colpocephalum species are examples of "rapid running lice". C. turbinatum, an ectoparasite of various birds including the Galápagos hawk, has been described as "highly mobile". Due to their speed, they can easily escape a bird trying to remove them through preening; this allows them to inhabit Bird anatomy, where slower lice would be readily removed.
Colpocephalum species eat feathers; Rock dove with large infestations of C. turbinatum can have almost all of their Cloaca region feathers' fluff eaten. High numbers of Colpocephalum can also damage a pigeon's and decrease their flying power. Colpocephalum lice can live within flight feathers' quills. In addition to eating feathers, C. turbinatum consume their hosts' skin. Adults of this species have also been reported to engage in cannibalism in vitro, eating their own eggs and up to 80% of their nymphs.
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