Bug Identifier
Body louse
Community identification

Body louse

Pediculus humanus humanus

Order & Family
Phthiraptera, Pediculidae
Size
2.3 to 3.6 mm 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

Exclusively human blood, feeding several times a day.

Behavior Patterns

Spends its life cycle hiding in fabrics, laying eggs (nits) attached to clothing threads rather than directly on hair.

Risks & Benefits

Acts as a vector for dangerous human pathogens causing epidemic typhus, trench fever, and relapsing fever.