What do garment lice look like? - briefly
Garment lice are tiny, wingless insects about 1–2 mm long, with a flattened, oval body that is reddish‑brown to gray and covered in fine hairs. They resemble small beetles and are most visible when they cluster on seams or in fabric folds.
What do garment lice look like? - in detail
Garment lice, scientifically known as Liposcelis bostrychophila, are minute, wingless insects that inhabit stored fabrics, clothing, and other textile products. Their overall body is elongated and flattened, resembling a tiny, soft‑bodied beetle.
Typical dimensions range from 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm in length. The body consists of three distinct regions: head, thorax, and abdomen, each clearly demarcated but smoothly integrated. The head bears short, filiform antennae composed of three segments; the second segment is noticeably longer than the others, providing a key identification point.
Coloration varies from pale yellow‑brown to light gray, often matching the hue of surrounding fibers. The exoskeleton is lightly sclerotized, giving a semi‑transparent appearance that may reveal internal organs in well‑lit conditions.
Distinguishing morphological traits include:
- Six legs, each ending in a single claw, adapted for rapid movement across fabrics.
- Compound eyes reduced to small, lateral ocelli, rendering vision limited but sufficient for detecting light changes.
- Two long, slender cerci at the posterior end of the abdomen, used for sensory perception.
- Absence of wings; locomotion relies entirely on walking and occasional jumping.
Compared with common booklice (Liposcelis bostrychophila and related species), garment lice lack the distinctive fringe of setae found on the margins of many psocopteran wings, reinforcing their wingless status. Their body shape, size, and the presence of elongated cerci differentiate them from dust mites, which are smaller (0.3 mm–0.5 mm) and possess a rounded, unsegmented form.
These characteristics collectively define the visual profile of garment lice and enable reliable identification in infested textiles.