Body Louse (Nits/Egg stage shown)

Scientific Name: Pediculus humanus humanus

Order & Family: Order: Psocodea, Family: Pediculidae

Size: 0.5 mm to 1 mm (eggs/nits); 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm (adults)

Body Louse (Nits/Egg stage shown)

Natural Habitat

Typically found on human clothing and bedding, moving to the skin only to feed.

Diet & Feeding

Obligate blood feeders, consuming human blood several times a day.

Behavior Patterns

Unlike head lice, they lay their eggs (nits) in the seams of clothing rather than on hair. They are sensitive to temperature and prefer to stay close to a host's body heat.

Risks & Benefits

Risks include physical discomfort through itching and skin rashes. More severely, they are vectors for serious diseases like epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever. There are no ecological benefits to humans.

Identified on: 7/1/2026