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Head louse spiracle, SEM
Head louse. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a spiracle on the abdomen of a head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis). Spiracles are openings through which the insect breathes. The head louse is parasitic insect which inhabits the hair of the head, gluing its eggs (called nits) to the shafts of individual hairs. It lives on blood, which it sucks from the scalp. The wounds left by the lice cause intense itching, which can lead to dermatitis and infection. Lice can spread from head to head by close contact. Lice and nits can be killed with medicated shampoos. Some treatments are designed to block the spiracles, suffocating the insects.
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