What do head fleas look like? - briefly
Head fleas are tiny, wingless insects about 2–4 mm long, with a flattened gray‑brown body and six short legs adapted for clinging to hair shafts. Their segmented bodies move rapidly, making them difficult to see without magnification.
What do head fleas look like? - in detail
Head fleas are tiny, laterally flattened insects measuring 1.5–3 mm in length. Their bodies are dark brown to reddish‑black, sometimes appearing slightly lighter after a blood meal. The abdomen is broader than the thorax, giving a compact, oval silhouette. Six jointed legs extend from the thorax; the hind legs end in strong claws that enable the parasite to grip hair shafts firmly.
The head is equipped with short, segmented antennae bearing sensory pits. Compound eyes are reduced, located near the front of the head capsule. Mouthparts form a piercing‑sucking proboscis, approximately 0.2 mm long, capable of penetrating the scalp skin to ingest blood.
Key visual characteristics include:
- Size: 1.5–3 mm, visible to the naked eye but often mistaken for dandruff.
- Color: Dark brown to reddish‑black; may appear paler after feeding.
- Body shape: Flat, oval, with a broader abdomen.
- Legs: Six, with clawed tarsi for anchoring to hair.
- Antennae: Short, segmented, with sensory pits.
- Mouthparts: Needle‑like proboscis for blood extraction.
When observed under magnification, the dorsal surface shows fine setae and a distinct segmentation pattern, while the ventral side reveals the clawed tarsi and the attachment pads used for clinging to individual hair strands. These morphological details allow reliable identification of head fleas in clinical or entomological examinations.