Head lice overview

Overview
The head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis) is one of the many varieties of sucking lice specialized to live on different areas of various animals.

As the name implies, head lice are specialized to live among the hair present on the human head and are exquisitely adapted to living mainly on the scalp and neck hairs of their human host. Lice present on other body parts covered by hair are not head lice but are either pubic lice (Pthirus pubis) or body lice (Pediculus humanus humanus).