What do lice on rats look like? - briefly
Rat lice are tiny, wingless insects about 1–2 mm long, with a flattened, elongated body and a gray‑brown coloration; their legs end in sharp claws for gripping fur. They lack wings and have a smooth, segmented abdomen that distinguishes them from fleas.
What do lice on rats look like? - in detail
Rat lice are small, wingless insects that belong to two main groups: chewing lice (genus Polyplax) and sucking lice (genus Rhopalopsyllus). Both groups share a flattened, dorsoventrally compressed body adapted for moving through the host’s fur.
- Length: 1.5–3 mm for adult chewing lice; 1–2 mm for sucking lice.
- Color: varies from light gray to brown; some individuals appear translucent when newly emerged.
- Head: broad, with prominent compound eyes in chewing species; reduced eyes in sucking species.
- Antennae: short, five‑segmented, concealed beneath the head capsule.
- Thorax: bears six legs, each ending in clawed tarsi that grip hair shafts.
- Abdomen: segmented, slightly wider than the thorax; dorsal surface covered with fine setae that give a silvery sheen.
Sexual dimorphism is modest. Males possess slightly larger antennae and more robust forelegs for clasping females during copulation. Females are larger overall, especially in the abdomen, which expands to accommodate egg production.
Nymphs resemble adults but lack fully developed wings (which are absent in all rat lice) and have softer, lighter-colored cuticles. They molt three times before reaching maturity.
The body surface is covered with microscopic scales that reduce friction and help the insect blend with the host’s coat. In chewing lice, mandibles are strong and serrated for consuming skin debris and hair fragments; in sucking lice, mouthparts form a piercing‑sucking proboscis used to ingest blood.
Overall morphology reflects an obligate ectoparasitic lifestyle: compact size for navigating dense fur, clawed legs for attachment, and specialized mouthparts for feeding on rat tissue or blood.