
Community identification
Body Louse
Pediculus humanus humanus
- Order & Family
- Order Phthiraptera, Family Pediculidae
- Size
- 2.3 to 3.6 millimeters in length.
Natural Habitat
Found exclusively on human clothing and bedding, moving to the skin only to feed.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds exclusively on human blood by piercing the skin.
Behavior Patterns
Spends most of its lifecycle hiding in clothing seams, attaching eggs (nits) to fabric fibers.
Risks & Benefits
Acts as a vector for epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever.