Subject: ID help please
Geographic location of the bug: Melbourne, Australia
Date: 01/30/2019
Time: 07:33 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hi Bugman,
We’ve had a heatwave here in Australia lately and a big increase in the suburban biting/sucking bug population. I found the one in the first image on my 2 year old daughter’s arm at breakfast, and subsequently found head lice on her scalp. It seems large (3mm) and very dark for a head louse, and I’m hoping to distinguish it from body lice (generalised itching in the household may well be psychosomatic of course!) I don’t think it’s a bed bug but would appreciate any input.
The second image is of a tiny (2mm x 2mm), round, shiny beetle I think, found on outdoor sofa. Could this be a type of ladybug as it seems very round?
The third was found on cot mattress while changing linen during lice treatment, it’s the most worrying given its location and I’ve no idea what it is. Measures 3mm long by 1mm wide.
My apologies for the image quality, all collected in tape before I found your site.
Many thanks in anticipation of some peace of mind,
How you want your letter signed: Amanda
Dear Amanda,
The critter in your first image is definitely a Louse. Though it is a North American site, BugGuide differentiates Head Lice from Body Lice by designating different subspecies of the Human Louse, Pediculus humanus. Penn State has a nice fact sheet on Lice. We cannot make out enough details in image three and we will address 2 in a different response.