Crab louse
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| phylum | Arthropoda | The crab louse (Pthirus pubis, also pubic louse) is an insect that is an obligate ectoparasite of humans, feeding exclusively on blood. This louse is typically found in the person's pubic hair, but due to its ability to cling to coarse hair, it can also inhabit other areas of the body such as the eyelashes. Humans are the only known hosts of Pthirus pubis, although a closely related species, Pthirus gorillae, infects gorilla populations. The human parasite diverged from Pthirus gorillae approximately 3.3 million years ago.
For more information, visit the Wikipedia entry. Get back to Phthiraptera |
| class | Insecta | |
| order | Phthiraptera | |
| family | Pthiridae | |
| Species | Pthirus pubis |
