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louse

louse

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

louse common name for members of either of two distinct orders of wingless, parasitic, disease-carrying insects . Lice of both groups are small and flattened with short legs adapted for clinging to the host.

The sucking lice, of the order Anoplura, are external parasites of humans and other mammals, feeding on blood by means of their piercing-and-sucking mouthparts. The group includes the body lice and head lice, considered varieties of the same species, Pediculus humanus, and the crab, or pubic, louse, Phthirus pubis, named for its crablike appearance. A female sucking louse lays about 300 eggs, or nits, in her lifetime, cementing them to body hairs and underclothing. The larva resembles the adult; the life cycle takes about 16 days. Sucking lice infestations are common in crowded living conditions and where clothing is not changed or washed frequently. Body lice may transmit rickettsial diseases (see rickettsia ) and bacterial infections such as relapsing fever; infection results from scratching the crushed louse or its feces into the skin.

The chewing, or biting, lice, of the order Mallophaga, have chewing mouthparts and feed on hair, skin, or feather fragments of the host. They attack birds, rodents, and domesticated animals. Although they do not actually puncture the skin, and thus are scavengers and not true parasites, they often multiply so rapidly that they irritate, weaken, and may even kill the host. The chicken louse, Menopon pallidum, if left uncontrolled, can be a major problem in poultry production. Chewing lice may produce 6 to 12 generations annually. The eggs hatch into rapidly developing young in which metamorphosis is incomplete, as in many parasites.

The book louse is a tiny, wingless, cosmopolitan insect that damages books by feeding on glue, paste, and paper. It resembles lice but is not related, belonging to the order Psocoptera. The aphid is sometimes called plant louse.

Lice are classified in the phylum Arthropoda , class Insecta, orders Anoplura and Mallophaga.

Bibliography: See bulletins of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.

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louse

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | Copyright

louse / lous/ • n. 1. (pl. lice / līs/ ) a small, wingless, parasitic insect that lives on the skin of mammals and birds. ∎  (sucking louse) an insect with piercing mouthparts, found only on mammals (order Anoplura, or Siphunculata). ∎  (biting louse) an insect with a large head and jaws, found chiefly on birds (order Mallophaga). 2. (pl. louses ) inf. a contemptible or unpleasant person. • v. / lous; louz/ [tr.] 1. (louse something up) inf. spoil or ruin something. 2. archaic remove lice from.

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louse

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

louse Common name for various small, wingless insects, parasitic on birds and mammals. There are two main groups, classified in different sub-orders of Phthiraptera. The chewing lice (Mallophaga) feed mainly on the feathers of birds. The biting or sucking lice (Anoplura) feed only on the blood of mammals. Both kinds are small, pale and flattened, with leathery or hairy skins.
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louse

A Dictionary of Nursing | 2008 | Copyright

louse (lowss) n. (pl. lice) a small wingless bloodsucking insect that is an external parasite of humans and may transmit disease. Lice attach themselves to hair and clothing; they thrive in overcrowded and unhygienic conditions. See also pediculosis.
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louse

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Copyright

louse, pl. lice OE. lūs, pl. lȳs = MLG., MDu., OHG. lūs (Du. luis, G. laus), ON. lús; cf. W. lleuen, pl. llau.
Hence lousy XIV.
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T. F. HOAD. "louse." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "louse." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-louse.html

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louse

A Dictionary of Zoology | 1999 | | Copyright

louse See PHTHIRAPTERA.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "louse." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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louse

Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes | 2007 | Copyright

louse •douse, dowse, Gauss, grouse, house, Klaus, louse, Manaus, mouse, nous, Rouse, souse, spouse, Strauss •Windaus • madhouse • cathouse •Gasthaus • guardhouse • farmhouse •glasshouse • bathhouse • almshouse •penthouse • guesthouse • warehouse •playhouse •bakehouse, steakhouse •alehouse, jailhouse •gatehouse, statehouse •treehouse • wheelhouse • greenhouse •clearing house • meeting house •counting house • ice house •lighthouse, White House •doghouse • dollhouse •chophouse, flophouse •dosshouse •hothouse, pothouse •poorhouse, storehouse, whorehouse •courthouse • malthouse • Bauhaus •town house • outhouse • coach house •roadhouse • smokehouse • boathouse •oast house • schoolhouse •Wodehouse • cookhouse • clubhouse •nuthouse • beerhouse • powerhouse •summerhouse • barrelhouse •porterhouse, slaughterhouse, Waterhouse •workhouse • lobscouse • woodlouse •field mouse • titmouse • dormouse

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

Lice Ladies spread the helpful news; Moms say there's no shame in war against...
Newspaper article from: Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN); 11/24/1996
Lice: the four-letter word all parents dread.
Newspaper article from: The Evening Standard (London, England); 5/8/2001
Lice outbreak plagues Eagan schools; More than 150 students at three schools...
Newspaper article from: Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN); 3/14/2008

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louse images
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