What does a lice egg look like up close? - briefly
Louse eggs are minute, oval capsules about 0.8 mm long, typically white or pale yellow, with a smooth, slightly glossy surface and a tiny vent at one pole. They are firmly glued to the hair shaft, appearing as a line of tiny beads close to the scalp.
What does a lice egg look like up close? - in detail
A louse egg, commonly called a nit, measures roughly 0.6–0.9 mm in length and 0.2–0.3 mm in width. Under magnification the shell appears oval, smooth, and slightly glossy. The outer wall is composed of a hard, translucent chitinous material that often shows a pale amber or light brown hue; the color may darken as the embryo develops.
Key visual features include:
- Operculum: a tiny, dome‑shaped cap at one pole that opens when the nymph hatches. It is usually slightly lighter than the rest of the shell.
- Attachment point: a narrow, rigid stalk (the cemented filament) anchors the egg to a hair shaft, positioned close to the scalp where temperature is optimal.
- Surface texture: the shell is generally smooth, though microscopic ridges or fine striations can be observed on some species.
- Internal contents: a faint, semi‑transparent embryo may be visible as a darker spot near the operculum, especially in later developmental stages.
When examined with a dissecting microscope at 20–40× magnification, the nit’s silhouette resembles a tiny, flattened capsule. The cemented filament extends about 0.1 mm beyond the shell, securing the egg at a 30–45° angle relative to the hair. The overall structure is designed to resist removal and protect the developing louse until emergence.