What do head mites look like? - briefly
Head mites are microscopic, oval‑shaped arthropods about 0.2–0.3 mm long, with translucent bodies and six legs. They appear as moving specks on the scalp, often mistaken for dandruff.
What do head mites look like? - in detail
Head mites are microscopic ectoparasites belonging to the genus Demodex. Adult specimens measure between 0.2 and 0.4 millimetres in length, rendering them invisible to the naked eye and detectable only with a microscope at × 100–400 magnification.
The body is elongated, cigar‑shaped, and tapers toward the posterior end. It consists of a short anterior region housing the mouthparts and a longer posterior region containing the digestive and reproductive systems. The cuticle is smooth, lacking discernible segmentation, which contributes to the organism’s translucent appearance.
Four pairs of short, unsegmented legs emerge from the anterior region. Each leg terminates in a claw‑like structure that enables the mite to grasp hair shafts and navigate the follicular environment. The mouthparts include a slender, needle‑like proboscis used to pierce the follicular epithelium and ingest cellular debris.
Coloration is essentially colourless; the cuticle permits light to pass through, giving the mite a pale, almost invisible look under microscopic illumination.
Two species commonly inhabit the human scalp:
- Demodex folliculorum – occupies the infundibulum of hair follicles; body length averages 0.3–0.4 mm; legs are proportionally longer, facilitating movement along the hair shaft.
- Demodex brevis – resides deeper within sebaceous glands; body length averages 0.2–0.3 mm; legs are shorter, adapted for a more confined space.
Key morphological traits:
- Length: 0.2–0.4 mm, species‑dependent.
- Shape: elongated, cylindrical, tapering posteriorly.
- Transparency: virtually colourless, visible only by contrast.
- Legs: four pairs, clawed, anteriorly positioned.
- Mouthpart: slender proboscis for follicular penetration.
These characteristics define the visual profile of head mites and enable accurate identification in clinical microscopy.