Pediculus maximus Scopoli, 1763: 382.
Liotheum (Laemobothrion) giganteum Nitzsch, 1818: 301.
Liotheum giganteum; Gervais 1849: 104.
Liotheum giganteum Nitzs.; Gay 1854: pl. Anoplureos figs 10a–b.
Laemobothrion maximum (Scopoli, 1763); Eichler 1941a: 363, fig. 28.
Laemobothrion maximum (Scopoli, 1763); Eichler 1942: 58, fig. 4.
Laemobothrion maximum (Scopoli, 1763); Hopkins & Clay 1952: 185.
Laemobothrion maximum (Scopoli, 1763); Nelson & Price 1965: 253, figs 1–2, 8, 12, 16–18.
Laemobothrion (Laemobothrion) maximum (Scopoli, 1763); Price et al. 2003: 81.
Neotype in ZFMK (see Eichler 1942: 59; Clay & Hopkins 1951: 5).
Type host: Buteo buteo insularum Floericke, 1903.
Chilean host: “Pillo” (see Remarks below).
Other hosts: Over 50 species of the genera Accipiter, Aquila, Aviceda, Butastur, Buteo, Caracara, Circaetus, Circus, Gymnogenys, Haliaeetus, Haliastur, Hieraaetus, Ictinia, Melierax, Milvus, Parabuteo, Pernis and Polemaetus (see Nelson & Price 1965: 255).
Chilean localities: Not given.
Geographic distribution: All continents, except Antarctica.
Chilean references: Gervais (1849); Gay (1854).
Other significant references: Clay & Hopkins (1951: 5); Nelson & Price (1965); Lakshminarayana (1970: 132, figs 2a, 4c); Clay (1976: 537); Martín-Mateo (2002: 137, figs 43C, H, 44); Price et al. (2003).
Remarks: Despite the number of Chilean hosts that may be parasitised by Laemobothrion maximum, this large louse has not been reported from Chile since the 19th century. The vernacular name “Pillo”, given by Gervais (1849) as a possible host of this louse, does not appear to apply to any species of the Accipitriformes, but to the stork Ciconia maguari (Gmelin, 1789), which is rare in Chile and is not known to harbour any species of Laemobothrion (see Price et al. 2003: 300). Prevalence and intensity of infestation in species of Laemobothrion are often low. Despite their large size, extensive examination of a variety of potential hosts may be required before L. maximum will be reported again in Chile.