Community identification
Pubic louse
Pthirus pubis
- Order & Family
- Order Phthiraptera, Family Pthiridae
- Size
- 1.1 to 2.0 mm in length
Natural Habitat
Human coarse body hair, predominantly in the pubic region, eyebrows, and eyelashes.
Diet & Feeding
Exclusively human blood, feeding several times a day.
Behavior Patterns
Spends its entire life cycle on a human host, clinging tightly to coarse hairs with modified claws. Females lay eggs (nits) cemented firmly to hair shafts.
Risks & Benefits
Causes severe itching, skin irritation, and blue-gray macules due to bites; no ecological benefit to humans as it is an obligate human parasite.