BACKGROUND Genetic analyses of human lice have shown that the current taxonomic classification of head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) and body lice (Pediculus humanus humanus) does not reflect their phylogenetic organization. Three phylotypes of head lice A, B and C exist but body lice have been observed only in phylotype A. Head and body lice have different behaviours and only the latter hav...

Permethrin has been used extensively for control of Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer (Anoplura: Pediculidae) in Argentina since 1990, resulting in the development of resistance to this and other pyrethroids. This resistance was first detected in some field populations in 1997. A survey for resistance in Buenos Aires in 2001 revealed significant resistance levels in lice on children at 24 of 26...

The preparation of preserved preparations is one the useful methods to determine morphology ectoparasites and insects whose manufacturing process goes through four stages starting with 10% KOH fixation, dehydration process, clearing mounting process. immersion serves thin out chitin layer that forms exoskeleton, which a thick covering on body surface Pediculus humanus capitis (human lice). purp...

The head louse, Pediculus capitis De Geer (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae) has developed resistance to organochlorines, the organophosphate malathion and to pyrethroids in the U.K. Therefore, headlice from Bristol school children were bioassayed against two new insecticides, fipronil and imidacloprid. Pediculus capitis was fully susceptible to imidacloprid, but it required a relatively high dose and...

Blood-sucking lice of humans have extensively fragmented mitochondrial (mt) genomes. Human head louse and body louse have their 37 mt genes on 20 minichromosomes. In human pubic louse, the 34 mt genes known are on 14 minichromosomes. To understand the process of mt genome fragmentation in the blood-sucking lice of mammals, we sequenced the mt genomes of the domestic pig louse, Haematopinus suis...