Community identification
Human Lice
Pediculus humanus
- Order & Family
- Order: Psocodea, Family: Pediculidae
- Size
- 2 to 3.5 mm in length
Natural Habitat
Found exclusively on human hosts, specifically the scalp (head lice) or body and clothing (body lice).
Diet & Feeding
Obligate parasites that feed exclusively on human blood several times a day.
Behavior Patterns
They are wingless insects that crawl and cannot jump or fly; they attach their eggs (nits) to hair shafts or clothing fibers.
Risks & Benefits
Cause intense itching and secondary skin infections from scratching; body lice can transmit diseases like epidemic typhus, while head lice do not spread disease.