Community identification
Body louse
Pediculus humanus humanus
- Order & Family
- Order: Psocodea / Family: Pediculidae
- Size
- 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm in length
Natural Habitat
Typically found in the seams of clothing and bedding of people who are unable to bathe or wash clothes regularly.
Diet & Feeding
They feed exclusively on human blood and must live on or near the host to survive.
Behavior Patterns
They live and lay eggs (nits) in the seams of clothing, only moving onto the skin to feed. They spread through direct physical contact or sharing infested clothing/linens.
Risks & Benefits
They cause intense itching (pediculosis) and can be vectors for serious diseases such as epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever. They have no ecological benefits to humans.