What do lice look like on a person? - briefly
Lice are tiny, wing‑less insects about 2–3 mm long, with a flattened, elongated body that ranges from light brown to gray and six visible legs. Their eggs, known as nits, appear as tiny, oval, yellow‑white shells firmly attached to the base of each hair shaft.
What do lice look like on a person? - in detail
Lice that infest a human host are small, wing‑less insects belonging to the order Phthiraptera. Adults measure 2–4 mm in length, with a flattened, elongated body that tapers toward the rear. The exoskeleton is semi‑transparent, allowing internal organs to be faintly visible; coloration ranges from gray‑brown to off‑white, depending on age and feeding status. Six jointed legs end in sharp claws that grip hair shafts or clothing fibers, providing a secure hold while the insect moves.
Key visual characteristics:
- Body shape: dorsoventrally compressed, resembling a tiny fish or crab.
- Size: comparable to a grain of rice; nymphs are proportionally smaller, 1–2 mm.
- Color: pale to brown; freshly emerged nymphs appear almost colorless, darkening after blood meals.
- Legs: three pairs, each with a single claw; claws are visible as tiny, curved projections at the leg tips.
- Antennae: short, less than 0.5 mm, often concealed beneath the head capsule.
- Mouthparts: piercing‑sucking proboscis adapted for drawing blood; not visible without magnification.
Eggs (nits) are a distinctive element of infestation. They are oval, 0.8 mm long, and firmly cemented to the base of hair shafts or fibers within 1 cm of the scalp. Fresh nits are pale yellow; as embryonic development proceeds, they turn tan or brown. The attachment point is a glossy, half‑transparent shell that resists removal without specialized tools.
Distribution on the body varies by species:
- Head‑infesting lice occupy the scalp region, concentrating around the nape, behind the ears, and near the hairline.
- Body lice reside on clothing seams, especially in the waist and groin area, moving to the skin only to feed.
- Pubic lice inhabit coarse hair of the genital region, chest, and armpits, preferring denser follicles.
Under a handheld magnifier or low‑power microscope, the aforementioned features become clearly discernible. To the naked eye, adult lice appear as tiny, moving specks that may be mistaken for dandruff or lint, while nits resemble small, glued‑on beads. Their rapid, erratic crawling and the presence of multiple nits in close proximity are reliable indicators of infestation.