AI overview
A head louse is a small insect that lives on human scalps and feeds on blood from the skin. Head lice are important to know about because they spread easily between people, especially children, and can cause itching and discomfort.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Pediculus humanus
- Image
- Female human head louse.jpg
Show 2 more facts
- P105
- subspecies
- P2283
- oviparity
via Wikidata · CC0
Article
Pediculus humanus capitis by Des Helmore
The head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis) is an obligate ectoparasite of humans. Head lice are wingless insects that spend their entire lives on the human scalp and feed exclusively on human blood. Humans are the only known hosts of this specific parasite, while chimpanzees and bonobos host a closely related species, Pediculus schaeffi. Other species of lice infest most orders of mammals and all orders of birds.