Fauna
Insect · GBIF taxon 1032457

Gorilla Louse

Pthirus gorillae

Also known as Gorilla Pubic Louse

Gorilla lice spend their entire lives navigating the coarse hair of gorillas, anchoring firmly with specialized clawed legs suited to the host's hair shaft diameter. They feed on blood multiple times daily using piercing-sucking mouthparts concealed within the head capsule. Evolutionary biologists prize this species because genetic divergence dates show its lineage jumped to early human ancestors over three million years ago to give rise to modern pubic lice.

ParasiteWinglessHost-Specific
Gorilla Louse reference
Licensed reference(c) Frost Museum, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Gorilla blood
Predators
  • Eastern gorilla
  • Western gorilla
ThreatsDecline of gorilla host populations, habitat fragmentation, and anti-parasitic treatments
HabitatsDense hair coat and skin of wild gorillas in tropical forests
Life span3–4 weeks as an adult
Classification
  1. FamilyPthiridae
  2. SpeciesPthirus gorillae
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Harmless to humans at normal observation distances; host-adapted specifically to gorillas.
Responsible observation
  • Field Context: These lice reside exclusively against the skin of wild gorillas and are rarely seen without veterinary examination.
  • Ape Protection: Maintain standard viewing distances of at least seven meters from wild gorillas to protect host populations.
Related species
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