| Pediculus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Psocodea |
| Suborder: | Troctomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Nanopsocetae |
| Parvorder: | Phthiraptera |
| Superfamily: | Anoplura |
| Family: | Pediculidae Leach, 1817 |
| Genus: | Pediculus Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Species | |
|
See text | |
Pediculus is a genus of sucking lice, the sole genus in the family Pediculidae. Pediculus species are ectoparasites of primates.
Species include:[1]
- Pediculus clavicornis Nitzsch, 1864
- Pediculus humanus Linnaeus, 1758
- Pediculus humanus humanus Linnaeus, 1758 – the body louse
- Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer, 1767 – the head louse
- Pediculus mjobergi Ferris, 1916
- Pediculus schaeffi Fahrenholz, 1910
Humans are the hosts of Pediculus humanus. Chimpanzees and bonobos host Pediculus shaeffi. Various New World monkeys in the families Cebidae and Atelidae host Pediculus mjobergi.[2]