Head louse
Pediculus humanus
Local namesbitkehlesaç bitisirke
- May carry disease
Head lice transmit no disease; they cause itching and scratch infections, spread by head-to-head contact and are unrelated to hygiene. The body-louse form of the same species, however, transmits typhus and relapsing fever in crowded or crisis conditions.
Key identifying features
Each of the six legs ends in a hooked claw that grips a hair shaft
White-yellow eggs (nits) glued to hair shafts near the scalp
Greyish translucent body that turns dark red-brown after feeding
Insect
- Order
- Phthiraptera
- Length
- 2–4 mm
Active months
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- November
Identification suggestions (from the community or from AI) and the information here may be wrong; this app never confirms that anything is safe to eat. Do not consume wild plants, mushrooms or seafood without expert confirmation. Nothing here is medical advice.