What do lice look like on a comb, on hair, on a sheet of paper? - briefly
When inspected on a comb, lice appear as tiny tan‑gray ovals about 2–3 mm long, visible among the teeth as moving specks; on hair they cling to shafts near the scalp, showing flattened bodies with six legs and often accompanied by angled eggs (nits). On a sheet of paper they look like minute, translucent brownish spots, sometimes revealing a faint leg outline that can be mistaken for dust.
What do lice look like on a comb, on hair, on a sheet of paper? - in detail
Lice are small, wing‑less insects about 2–4 mm long. Their bodies are flattened laterally, allowing them to move easily through hair shafts and between fibers. The exoskeleton is a translucent‑to‑grayish brown, sometimes appearing reddish when engorged with blood.
When a comb is examined, the insects are visible as tiny, oval specks clinging to the teeth. The comb’s plastic or metal teeth provide a contrasting background, making the lice appear as dark, slightly glossy dots. Adult specimens often rest on the outer edge of a tooth, while nymphs cluster near the base where hair fragments accumulate. Eggs (nits) are attached to the comb’s surface with a cement‑like secretion; they look like tiny, elongated ovals, pale yellow to white, angled at about 45° relative to the tooth surface.
On a head of hair, lice are seen crawling among strands. Their bodies are visible as small, moving brown specks that can be distinguished from hair by their shape and the presence of six legs. The legs are short, claw‑like, and positioned at the front of the thorax, giving the insect a slightly “spider‑like” silhouette. Nits are firmly glued to the hair shaft, typically within 1 cm of the scalp. They appear as flat, oval shells, light‑colored, and positioned at an angle that follows the curvature of the hair.
On a sheet of paper, lice are less likely to survive, but they can be transferred and observed as detached bodies. On the paper’s matte surface, they appear as tiny, brownish‑gray dots with a matte sheen. The lack of three‑dimensional structure makes the legs less distinct, but the overall oval shape remains evident. Any nits present on the paper are seen as flat, oval, pale objects that may be slightly raised from the surface due to the cement residue.
Key visual cues
- Size: 2–4 mm, elongated oval.
- Color: translucent to gray‑brown; reddened after feeding.
- Legs: six short, clawed appendages at the front.
- Nits: oval, pale, angled 30–45° relative to the substrate.
- Movement: rapid, erratic crawling on hair; static on comb or paper.