What do lice look like on piglets? - briefly
Piglet lice are tiny, wing‑less insects about 1–2 mm long, with a flattened, elongated body that appears grayish‑white or light brown and may be covered in fine, silvery scales. Their legs are short and adapted for clinging to the pig’s hair and skin.
What do lice look like on piglets? - in detail
Lice that infest neonatal swine are tiny, wingless insects measuring 1–2 mm in length. Their bodies are flattened laterally, facilitating movement through the dense hair of the piglet. The head region is small, bearing short, bristle‑like antennae that are barely visible without magnification. Mouthparts are adapted for chewing, with robust mandibles used to scrape skin debris and feed on blood.
Coloration varies among species but typically ranges from pale gray to brownish‑black. Adult specimens display a smooth, glossy exoskeleton that may appear slightly translucent, especially in younger stages. The abdomen is segmented, each segment bearing fine setae that give a faintly furry appearance under close inspection.
Lice are most commonly found in the following locations on piglets:
- Around the neck and shoulder region, where hair density is high.
- Along the back, especially near the spine.
- In the ear canals and around the base of the ears.
- On the limbs, particularly the inner surfaces of the forelegs.
The life cycle includes three instar nymphs before reaching adulthood. Nymphs resemble miniature adults but lack fully developed wings (which remain absent throughout the cycle) and have a lighter, almost translucent cuticle. They are less mobile and tend to remain near the site of hatching.
Eggs, called nits, are firmly attached to individual hair shafts with a cement‑like substance. They appear as tiny oval structures, approximately 0.5 mm long, and are whitish or pale yellow. A cluster of nits can be seen as a faint line along a hair strand, often near the base of the hair.
Behaviorally, these ectoparasites move slowly across the coat, guided by tactile cues. They prefer warm, moist areas of the skin, where blood vessels are close to the surface. Infestations become noticeable when piglets scratch excessively, develop localized hair loss, or exhibit red, inflamed skin patches.
Identification relies on microscopic examination of collected specimens. Key diagnostic features include the absence of wings, the presence of chewing mouthparts, and the characteristic shape of the thorax, which is broader than the head and narrower than the abdomen. Species differentiation, such as between Haematopinus suis and Pediculus suis, hinges on subtle variations in antennal segmentation and the pattern of setae on the dorsal surface.