What is the Latin name for lice? - briefly
The scientific name for the common human louse is Pediculus humanus. This species includes the head louse (P. h. capitis) and the body louse (P. h. humanus).
What is the Latin name for lice? - in detail
The scientific designation for the common human head louse is Pediculus humanus capitis. This subspecies belongs to the species Pediculus humanus, which also includes the body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus). Both are classified in the order Phthiraptera, suborder Anoplura, family Pediculidae.
The pubic louse, frequently encountered on humans, carries the name Pthirus pubis. It is the sole species within the genus Pthirus and shares the same order and suborder as the head and body lice but differs at the family level (family Pthiridae).
Key taxonomic hierarchy for head and body lice:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Phthiraptera
- Suborder: Anoplura
- Family: Pediculidae (head and body) / Pthiridae (pubic)
- Genus: Pediculus (head and body) / Pthirus (pubic)
- Species: humanus (head and body) / pubis (pubic)
The Latin terms reflect morphological and ecological distinctions. Pediculus derives from Latin “pediculus,” meaning “little louse,” while humanus indicates the human host. The subspecific epithet capitis denotes the head region, and humanus (in P. h. humanus) refers to the body. Pthirus originates from Greek “pthir,” meaning “louse,” and pubis specifies the pubic area.
These names appear in medical literature, diagnostic guidelines, and entomological references, providing a standardized nomenclature for research, treatment protocols, and epidemiological reporting.