Pubic Louse (commonly known as "Crabs")

Natural Habitat

Typically found in the pubic hair of humans; occasionally found in coarse hair elsewhere on the body like eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, mustache, armpit, or chest hair.

Diet & Feeding

Hematophagous (feeds exclusively on human blood)

Behavior Patterns

They grasp coarse hairs with specialized claws that resemble crab claws. They are relatively immobile compared to head lice but will crawl from hair to hair. They lay eggs (nits) on the hair shaft. Life cycle typically completes on the host.

Risks & Benefits

Risks: Causes intense itching (pruritus due to hypersensitivity to saliva), inflammation, and bluish spots on the skin (maculae ceruleae). Transmitted primarily through sexual contact, or less commonly via infested bedding/towels. No ecological benefit as an obligate parasite.

Identified on: 3/7/2026