Body louse nit

Scientific Name: Pediculus humanus humanus

Order & Family: Order: Psocodea (formerly Phthiraptera), Family: Pediculidae

Size: 0.5 mm to 1 mm in length (for the egg/nit); adults are 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm.

Body louse nit

Natural Habitat

Human clothing (especially seams) and skin; cosmopolitan distribution in crowded or unsanitary conditions.

Diet & Feeding

Obligate hematophages; they feed exclusively on human blood several times a day.

Behavior Patterns

Unlike head lice, body lice live and lay their eggs (nits) in the seams of clothing, only moving to the skin to feed. Their life cycle consists of the egg, three nymphal stages, and the adult.

Risks & Benefits

Risks: Significant medical pest; vectors for serious diseases including epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever. Can cause intense itching and skin rashes (pediculosis). Benefits: None.

Identified on: 3/12/2026