Human Lice

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.

Identified on: 5/18/2026