
Community identification
Body louse
Pediculus humanus humanus
- Order & Family
- Phthiraptera, Pediculidae
- Size
- 2.3 to 3.6 millimeters in length.
Natural Habitat
Found on clothing seams and fibers, moving to human skin only to feed.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds exclusively on human blood through piercing-sucking mouthparts.
Behavior Patterns
Spends most of its lifecycle hiding in fabric folds of clothing worn close to the skin.
Risks & Benefits
Acts as a vector for dangerous human pathogens like epidemic typhus and trench fever, causing severe skin irritation and itching.