What do clothing lice look like? - briefly
Clothing lice are tiny, wing‑less insects about 1–2 mm long, with a flattened, elongated body that is pale tan to brown and covered in fine hairs. They have six short legs, no wings, and lack visible eyes.
What do clothing lice look like? - in detail
Clothing lice are tiny, wingless insects that survive on human garments and other fabrics. Adult females measure 2–3 mm in length, while males are slightly smaller at 1.5–2 mm. Their bodies are flattened laterally, facilitating movement through fibers. The exoskeleton is a pale grayish‑brown color, often appearing almost translucent under magnification. Distinctive features include:
- Head: Small, rounded, bearing two short, forward‑projecting antennae composed of three segments.
- Mouthparts: Piercing‑sucking proboscis adapted for feeding on skin debris and sweat; not visible without magnification.
- Thorax: Broad, bearing three pairs of legs; each leg ends in a claw that grips fabric threads.
- Abdomen: Segmented, tapering toward the posterior; females possess a visible, slightly swollen abdomen when carrying eggs.
Nymphal stages resemble adults but are lighter in color and lack fully developed reproductive organs. Each molt increases size by roughly 0.3 mm. Eggs (nits) are oval, about 0.5 mm long, attached to fibers with a cement‑like secretion; they appear white or yellowish until hatching.
Under a stereomicroscope, the overall silhouette is cigar‑shaped, with a smooth dorsal surface and fine setae scattered across the body. These characteristics distinguish clothing lice from other fabric‑associated arthropods such as carpet beetles or dust mites.