Haematopinus quadripertusus

Haematopinus eurysternus
Class	Insecta
Order	Phthiraptera
Family	Haematopinidae

Also known as:

Tail louse

Haematopinus quadripertusus is a sucking louse.

Identification

The adults are around 4-5mm in length. They have a dark thoracic sternal plate, and all legs are of similar sizes.

Life Cycle

The lifespan of H. quadripertusus is around one month. The female lays white eggs, that stick to the hair of the host, in this case, particularly the tail. After between 9 and 25 days the eggs hatch into nymphs. The nymphs then transform into adults, which are commonly found on the head and tail.

The whole cycle, on average, takes around 2-3 weeks.