In an example of coextinction, it became extinct when the remaining, Critically Endangered California condors were deloused and treated with pesticides during a captive breeding program.

"[6] Another letter to Nature closed with "There may be conflicts in conservation needs, forcing us to bid farewell to the gorilla louse or the lice of the Californian condor while retaining their hosts.

[11][12][13] One 2011 paper in the Annual Review of Entomology called this a "poignant example" of the loss of biodiversity, and noted that the role this species played in its host's ecology was not fully understood.

[14] It has also been pointed out that studying the genetics of C. californici could have provided information about the California condor's evolutionary history.

[15][16] Biologists have also wondered if the California condors remained parasite-free or if generalist parasites, which might cause worse health impacts, later replaced them.