Louse Nit or Head Louse Casing (likely)

Scientific Name: Pediculus humanus capitis

Order & Family: Order: Psocodea (formerly Phthiraptera), Family: Pediculidae

Size: Adults: 2-3 mm (sesame seed size); Nits/Eggs: 0.8 mm by 0.3 mm.

Louse Nit or Head Louse Casing (likely)

Natural Habitat

Exclusively found on the human scalp, feeding on blood, and attaching eggs (nits) to hair shafts close to the scalp.

Diet & Feeding

Hematophagous (feeds exclusively on human blood several times a day).

Behavior Patterns

Head lice are wingless insects that crawl; they do not jump or fly. They spend their entire life cycle on the human host. Females cement eggs to the base of hair shafts. The image appears to show a desiccated or partial exoskeletal remain, possibly a hatched nit casing or a dead nymph.

Risks & Benefits

Risks: Causes intense itching (pruritus), potential secondary bacterial infection from scratching, and social stigma/anxiety. They generally do not transmit disease. Benefits: None known to humans.

Identified on: 2/28/2026