Pediculophobia: The Fear of Lice

There are over 3,000 species of lice. They are parasitic insects that live off mammal and bird hosts. The species is divided into two types of lice, the sucking lice and the chewing lice. As lice spend their whole life on the host they have developed adaptations which enable them to maintain a close contact with him. They feed on skin, feather parts, sebaceous secretions and blood. Their color varies from pale beige to dark grey. If feeding on blood they may be considerably darker. People tend to develop a fear of lice because they are parasitic insects and live off of your body.