Body Louse

Natural Habitat

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

Diet & Feeding

Hematophagous; they feed exclusively on human blood by biting the host multiple times a day.

Behavior Patterns

Unlike head lice, they live and lay their eggs (nits) in the seams of clothing. They are highly dependent on human body heat and will die within a few days if removed from the host.

Risks & Benefits

They pose significant health risks as vectors for bacterial diseases such as epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever. They have no known benefits to humans.

Identified on: 1/1/2026