Common Bed Bug

Indoor environments primarily associated with human housing, hotels, and public transportation. They hide in cracks, crevices, box springs, and headboards near sleeping areas.

Obligate hematophages; they feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals, primarily humans.

Nocturnal and reclusive. They emerge at night to feed, attracted by body heat and CO2. Life cycle includes five nymphal stages, each requiring a blood meal to molt into the next stage.

No ecosystem benefits in a human context. Risks include itchy skin welts, allergic reactions, secondary skin infections from scratching, and significant psychological distress or insomnia. They are not known to transmit diseases to humans.