**1. Introduction**

Infestations of animals with lice are medically called *pediculosis*. Origin of **pediculosis: 1885–1890; < Latin** *pēdicul(us***) louse. Related forms pe·dic·u·lous [p***uh***-dik-y***uh***-l***uh***s]/pə**ˈ**d**ɪ**k yə ləs/, adjective**<sup>1</sup> .

Pediculosis in cattle occurs throughout the world, and is more common in cattle than in any other domestic animal [1, 2].

Lice infecting ruminants are wingless insects and can produce a seasonal chronic dermatitis. The most common sign is pruritus, excoriation and alopecia. The host's rubbing and grooming may not correlate with the extent of infestation. Hairballs can result from overgrooming

<sup>1</sup> Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


**Table 1.** Site predilection of cattle lice [3–5].

in cattle. In severe cases, especially in calves, the organisms can lead to anemia, weight loss, and damaged pelts. Pregnant animals may abort. Lice eggs or nits are attached to hairs near the skin. Three nymphal stages, or instars, occur between egg and adult, and the growth cycle takes about 1 month for all species. Lice cannot survive for more than a few days off the host.

Caused by several species (**Table 1**), five louse species are known to be able to infect cattle: three species of the genus Haematopinus, along with the species *Linognathus vituli* and *Solenopotes capillatus*. *Haematopinus tuberculatus* (**Figure 1**) is a typical parasite of the domesticated Asian buffalo, which is known to infest cattle as well [6] as the young animals may be

infested with multiple species of lice simultaneously. *S. capillatus* and *H. eurysternus* infestations are more often recognized on mature animals, whereas *L. vituli* is more commonly seen on calves and on dairy stock. *Damalinia bovis/Bovicola bovis* is the chewing lice of the cattle [7]

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Lice undergo an incomplete metamorphosis. The life cycle takes about 4 to 5 weeks to complete. Lice lay eggs that hatch after 6–7 days. Each female deposits 20–50 (30–40) eggs (nits) during

(**Figures 2** and **3**).

**Figure 3.** *Bovicola bovis* female with nymph (over) (×17.5).

**Figure 2.** *Bovicola bovis* male (×26.6).

**2. Life cycle**

**Figure 1.** *Haematopinus tuberculatus* female with nit (×19.4).

**Figure 2.** *Bovicola bovis* male (×26.6).

**Figure 3.** *Bovicola bovis* female with nymph (over) (×17.5).

infested with multiple species of lice simultaneously. *S. capillatus* and *H. eurysternus* infestations are more often recognized on mature animals, whereas *L. vituli* is more commonly seen on calves and on dairy stock. *Damalinia bovis/Bovicola bovis* is the chewing lice of the cattle [7] (**Figures 2** and **3**).
