During the hot summer months, a few lice may survive out in the ear tips where temperatures do not reach lethal levels. The chances of detecting these carriers is slim because of the amount of time it would take to search thoroughly to detect them. The life cycle of biting and sucking lice have the three stages associated with incomplete metamorphosis- egg, nymph, and adult. Single nits or eggs are glued to the hair shaft. The three nymphal stages resemble the adults except they are smaller.
Measurements given for the different lice species are for adults.
Development time is directly related to temperature so life stage values in the following sections can vary by several days. The entire life cycle is spent on the host. They are easily recognized by the gray-black body and relatively blunt head. There are noticeable conical bumps along the sides of the body. Shortnosed cattle lice are found more frequently on mature animals where they prefer to feed along the top of the neck and around to the dewlap and brisket.