Bug Identifier
Body louse
Community identification

Body louse

Pediculus humanus humanus

Order & Family
Order Phthiraptera, Family Pediculidae
Size
2.3 to 3.6 millimeters long.
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

Natural Habitat

Found primarily in clothing seams, bedding, and on human skin during feeding.

Diet & Feeding

Obligate hematophagous parasite feeding exclusively on human blood.

Behavior Patterns

Lives and lays eggs in clothing fibers, moving to the skin only to feed several times daily.

Risks & Benefits

Acts as a vector for dangerous human pathogens such as epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever.