What do lice look like when they drink blood? - briefly
When feeding, a louse swells its abdomen, turning a translucent reddish‑brown as the blood fills its gut. The head and legs remain unchanged, while the body may appear up to twice its unfed size.
What do lice look like when they drink blood? - in detail
Lice are tiny, wingless insects ranging from 1 mm to 3 mm in length. When they attach to a host and begin to ingest blood, several visual changes become apparent.
The head and mouthparts are the most noticeable features. The maxillae and labium, adapted for piercing skin, extend outward, forming a small, curved proboscis. This structure appears slightly darker than the surrounding body due to the presence of freshly drawn blood within the feeding canal.
The abdomen expands rapidly as the insect fills its midgut with liquid. The cuticle, normally a uniform gray‑brown, stretches to accommodate the volume, giving the abdomen a more rounded, bulging silhouette. In some species, the abdomen takes on a translucent sheen, allowing the red hue of the blood to be faintly visible through the exoskeleton.
The legs, each ending in a claw, remain anchored to the host’s hair or clothing. While feeding, the claws grip tightly, and the limbs may appear slightly raised as the body swells.
Additional observable traits:
- Color shift: overall body tone darkens, especially around the head and thorax.
- Surface texture: cuticle becomes taut, reducing visible setae (hair‑like structures).
- Movement: feeding lice exhibit reduced locomotion, remaining motionless for several minutes while blood is drawn.
These characteristics collectively define the appearance of lice during the act of blood consumption.