Crab louse

This article is about the animal. For the infestation by crab or pubic lice, see Phthiriasis pubis.

Crab louse
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Psocodea
Family: Pthiridae
Genus: Pthirus
Species:
P. pubis
Binomial name
Pthirus pubis
Synonyms
  • Pediculus pubis Linnaeus, 1758
  • Phthirus pubis Leach, 1817[1]

The crab louse or pubic louse (Pthirus pubis) is an insect that is an obligate ectoparasite of humans, feeding exclusively on blood.[2] The crab louse usually is found in the person's pubic hair. Although the louse cannot jump, it can also live in other areas of the body that are covered with coarse hair, such as the perianal area, the entire body (in men), and the eyelashes (in children).[3][4]

Humans are the only known hosts of the crab louse, although a closely related species, Pthirus gorillae, infects gorillas. The human parasite is thought to have diverged from Pthirus gorillae approximately 3.3 million years ago.[5] It is more distantly related to the genus Pediculus, which contains the human head and body lice and lice that affect chimpanzees and bonobos.

  1. ^ "Taxonomy of Human Lice". Phthiraptera.info. Archived from the original on April 14, 2020.
  2. ^ Rapini, Ronald P.; Bolognia, Jean L.; Jorizzo, Joseph L. (2007). Dermatology: 2-Volume Set. St. Louis: Mosby. ISBN 978-1-4160-2999-1.
  3. ^ CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) (2017-05-02). "Parasites: lice". www.cdc.gov. Retrieved 2017-12-04.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) (2017-05-02). "Parasites: pubic "crab" lice". www.cdc.gov. Retrieved 2017-12-04.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ Weiss RA (10 February 2009). "Apes, lice and prehistory". J Biol. 8 (2): 20. doi:10.1186/jbiol114. PMC 2687769. PMID 19232074.