[The eggs are pear-shaped and are attached to the hairs near the roots by means of a clasping collar. They hatch in about seven days. The young are like the adults and mature in a month. Its general colour varies with that of its host. In West Africans nearly black, in Hindoos dark and smoky, on Chinese and Japanese yellow, on Hottentots orange, on South American Indians dark brown (Murray).—F. V. T.]
Pediculus vestimenti, Nitzsch, 1818.
The head in front is somewhat rounded. Antennæ longer than in the head louse; 2 to 3·5 to 4 mm. in length; whitish-grey; the abdomen is broader than the thorax; stigmata as in P. capitis. Eggs 0·7 to 0·9 mm. in length; about seventy are deposited.
Fig. 376.—Head louse, male. 15/1.
Fig. 377.—Pediculus vestimenti, Burm.: adult female. 15/1.
P. vestimenti lives on the neck, throat and trunk of persons, and the clothing next the body, in which also the eggs are deposited. The louse of so-called pedicular disease (P. tabescentium) is, according to Landois’ researches, only the usual P. vestimenti; moreover, many cases of phthiriasis are attributable to mites or fly maggots.