Bug Identifier
Pubic Louse (commonly known as Crabs)
Community identification

Pubic Louse (commonly known as Crabs)

Pthirus pubis

Order & Family
Order: Psocodea; Family: Pthiridae
Size
Typically 1.1 mm to 1.8 mm (about the size of a pinhead)
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

Natural Habitat

Found exclusively on humans, primarily in the pubic hair and surrounding inguinal area; occasionally found in eyelashes, eyebrows, beards, or armpit hair.

Diet & Feeding

Obligate blood-feeders; they consume human blood several times a day.

Behavior Patterns

They are relatively sedentary, grasping hair shafts with large, crab-like claws. They cannot jump or fly and are transmitted primarily through close physical or sexual contact, or contact with contaminated clothing and bedding.

Risks & Benefits

Risks include intense itching (pruritus) caused by an allergic reaction to their saliva, secondary skin infections from scratching, and social distress. They carry no known diseases but signify possible exposure to other sexually transmitted infections.