Body louse or Head louse

Exclusively on the human body; head lice inhabit the scalp and hair, while body lice live in the seams of clothing and move to the skin to feed.

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

They are wingless, crawling insects that cannot jump or fly. They attach their eggs (nits) to hair shafts or clothing fibers. They are transmitted through direct physical contact or shared personal items.

Risks include physical discomfort, intense itching (pruritus), and skin infections from scratching. Body lice are specifically known vectors for diseases like epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever. They provide no ecosystem benefits to humans.