Bug Identifier
Body louse
Community identification

Body louse

Pediculus humanus humanus

Order & Family
Phthiraptera, Pediculidae
Size
2.3 to 3.6 millimeters in length.
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

Natural Habitat

Found exclusively on human clothing, seams, and bedding rather than directly on the skin.

Diet & Feeding

Obligate hematophagous ectoparasite feeding exclusively on human blood.

Behavior Patterns

Moves from clothing to skin only to feed several times daily. Lays eggs on fabric fibers.

Risks & Benefits

Acts as a vector for serious human pathogens including epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever.