Body Louse

Scientific Name: Pediculus humanus humanus

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

Size: 2.3 to 3.6 mm (approximately the size of a sesame seed)

Body Louse

Natural Habitat

Typically found in the seams of clothing and bedding used by humans; they only move to the skin to feed.

Diet & Feeding

Obligate blood feeders, consuming human blood multiple times a day.

Behavior Patterns

They live and lay eggs (nits) in clothing, rather than on the hair (unlike head lice). They are highly dependent on human proximity for warmth and food. Infestations are generally associated with crowded living conditions and infrequent laundering of clothes.

Risks & Benefits

Risk: They can transmit serious bacterial diseases such as louse-borne typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever. Benefit: None, they are exclusively parasitic pests.

Identified on: 3/7/2026