Lice Facts

Lice (singular: louse) Pediculosis capitis or head lice.

The order has traditionally been divided into two suborders, the sucking lice (Anoplura) and the chewing lice (Mallophaga)the Mallophaga are paraphyletic and four suborders are recently recognized:

Anoplura: sucking lice, occurring on mammals exclusively.

Rhyncophthirina: parasites of elephants and warthogs.

Ischnocera: mostly avian chewing lice- one family parasitizes mammals.

Amblycera: a primitive suborder of chewing lice, widespread on birds.

Most lice are scavengers, feeding on skin and other debris found on the host's body, but some species feed on sebaceous secretions and blood. 

Head lice are tiny insects that live on the skin covering the top of your head, called the scalp. They are not dangerous and do not cause any bodily harm. Lice can be spread by close contact with other people. Head lice infect hair on the head. Tiny eggs on the hair look like flakes of dandruff. However, instead of flaking off the scalp, they stay put. Head lice can live up to 30 days on a human. Their eggs can live for more than 2 weeks.