Louse (Head, Body, or Pubic Louse)

Human hosts; specifically hair for head lice, clothing for body lice, and coarse body hair for pubic lice.

Obligate parasites that feed exclusively on human blood several times a day.

Lice cannot jump or fly; they move by crawling. They cement their eggs (nits) to hair shafts or clothing fibers. They are highly contagious through direct physical contact or sharing personal items.

Risks include intense itching, scalp irritation, and secondary skin infections from scratching. Body lice can transmit diseases like epidemic typhus. There are no known ecological benefits for humans.