Pubic louse (or Crab louse)

Natural Habitat

Found primarily in human pubic hair, but can also inhabit other coarse body hair such as eyelashes, eyebrows, chest hair, and armpits.

Diet & Feeding

Obligate hematophage: feeds exclusively on human blood several times a day.

Behavior Patterns

They are slow-moving and use specialized 'crab-like' claws to grasp coarse hair. They go through three stages: nit (egg), nymph, and adult. They cannot jump or fly and usually require direct body contact for transmission.

Risks & Benefits

Risks include intense itching (pruritus due to an allergic reaction to saliva) and secondary skin infections from scratching. They are not known to transmit systemic diseases but are considered a common sexually transmitted infestation (STI).

Identified on: 3/7/2026