Pubic louse

Found exclusively on humans, primarily in the pubic hair or other coarse body hair areas such as armpits, eyebrows, or eyelashes.

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

They are slow-moving and spend their entire lives on humans. They use specialized crab-like claws to grasp hair shafts and deposit eggs (nits) on the base of the hair. They cannot jump or fly.

Risks include intense itching (pruritus) due to an allergic reaction to their saliva and potential secondary skin infections from scratching. They are typically spread through close physical contact. There are no ecological benefits as they are specialized parasites.