Bug Identifier
Body louse
Community identification

Body louse

Pediculus humanus humanus

Order & Family
Order Phthiraptera, Family Pediculidae
Size
2.3 to 3.6 millimeters in length.
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

Natural Habitat

Found exclusively in clothing seams and fibers, moving to human skin only to feed.

Diet & Feeding

Obligate hematophagous ectoparasite feeding exclusively on human blood.

Behavior Patterns

Spends its life cycle hiding in fabrics, laying eggs on clothing fibers rather than directly on human hair.

Risks & Benefits

Acts as a vector for dangerous human pathogens including epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever.