
Community identification
Body louse
Pediculus humanus humanus
- Order & Family
- Order Phthiraptera, Family Pediculidae
- Size
- 2.3 to 3.6 millimeters long.
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.