Body louse

Scientific Name: Pediculus humanus humanus

Order & Family: Order: Psocodea (formerly Phthiraptera), Family: Pediculidae

Size: 2.3 to 3.6 millimeters (about the size of a sesame seed).

Body louse

Natural Habitat

Typically found on the human body and within the seams of clothing and bedding of an infested person.

Diet & Feeding

Strict blood-feeders that consume human blood several times a day.

Behavior Patterns

They live in clothing and only crawl onto the skin to feed. They are spread by direct physical contact or by sharing clothing, beds, or towels. Eggs (nits) are glued to cloth fibers rather than hair.

Risks & Benefits

Risks: Can cause intense itching and rashes; more importantly, they are vectors for dangerous diseases like epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever. Benefits: None.

Identified on: 1/12/2026