
Community identification
Body louse
Pediculus humanus humanus
- Order & Family
- Order Psocodea, Family Pediculidae
- Size
- 2.3 to 3.6 millimeters in length.
Natural Habitat
Found on clothing and bedding rather than directly on human skin, moving to skin only to feed.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds exclusively on human blood by piercing the skin.
Behavior Patterns
Spends most of its lifecycle hiding in the seams of clothing, laying eggs directly on fabric fibers.
Risks & Benefits
Acts as a vector for serious human pathogens including epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever.