What do deer lice feed on? - briefly
Deer lice are chewing parasites that ingest skin debris, blood, and secretions from their hosts. They obtain nutrients by scraping epidermal tissue and consuming the resulting fluids.
What do deer lice feed on? - in detail
Deer lice are obligate ectoparasites that obtain nutrients directly from the integument of their cervid hosts. Their mandibles are adapted for chewing rather than piercing, allowing them to scrape and ingest material from the skin surface. The primary components of their diet include:
- Dead epidermal cells that accumulate in the outermost skin layer.
- Sebaceous gland secretions rich in lipids and proteins.
- Hair shafts and keratin fragments broken off during grooming.
- Microbial flora, such as bacteria and fungi, that colonize the skin.
- Small quantities of blood drawn from superficial capillaries when skin tissue is damaged during feeding.
Feeding activity is continuous, but intensity varies with the host’s seasonal coat changes. During winter, when fur is dense, lice concentrate on the ventral and facial regions where hair is thinner, increasing access to skin secretions. In spring and summer, the shedding of old hair supplies additional keratin debris, enhancing the availability of solid food sources.
The ingestion of skin debris and secretions provides the essential amino acids, lipids, and carbohydrates required for growth and reproduction. Microbial ingestion supplements the diet with vitamins and enzymes that the lice cannot synthesize themselves. Blood ingestion, though limited, supplies heme and iron, supporting egg production.
Digestive physiology reflects this mixed diet. The foregut houses enzymes that break down keratin and lipid-rich secretions, while the midgut extracts nutrients from microbial cells. Waste is expelled as fine fecal pellets that adhere to the host’s hair, often visible as small, dark specks.
Overall, deer lice sustain themselves by exploiting the readily available, nutrient‑dense material present on the surface of their hosts, combining mechanical scraping of keratinous tissue with the consumption of secretions and incidental blood. This feeding strategy ensures rapid population growth under favorable environmental conditions.