Body Louse

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

Exclusively human blood; specialized for feeding while holding onto clothing fibers.

They live in the seams of clothing and lay eggs (nits) on the fabric fibers. They are most common in conditions of overcrowding and poor hygiene where clothing is not changed or washed regularly.

Risks include physical irritation, itching (pediculosis), and the transmission of serious diseases such as epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever. There are no ecological benefits to humans.