Bug Identifier
Body louse
Community identification

Body louse

Pediculus humanus humanus

Order & Family
Order Psocodea, Family Pediculidae
Size
2.3 to 3.6 millimeters in length.
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

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.