How many times does a louse nymph molt before becoming an adult?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

human head louse — louse Human head louse (*Pediculus humanus*).

A louse nymph undergoes three molts before reaching the adult stage. During this process of simple metamorphosis, the insect passes through three distinct developmental stages known as instars, with each stage becoming progressively larger and more similar in appearance to the adult.1