Head Louse

Pediculus capitis

Appearance

• Adults - 3mm long. Soft-bodied insects, off-white in colour. Each leg bears a single claw with which the louse can grip hair or clothing.

Lifecycle

•  The eggs of the head lice are called nits and are found firmly attached to the hair shaft. They are oval and usually yellow to white.
•  Nits take about 1 week to hatch into nymphs and mature into adults about 7 days after hatching.
•  Adult lice can live up to 30 days on a person's head.

Habits

• Lice move between hosts when the hosts are in direct contact. If a louse falls off a person, it dies within 2 days.
• To live, nymphs and adult lice need to feed on blood.