Bed Bug
Scientific Name: Cimex lectularius
Order & Family: Order: Hemiptera, Family: Cimicidae
Size: 4 to 5 mm in length (about the size of an apple seed) when fully grown.
Natural Habitat
Found globally in human dwellings, typically hiding in mattress seams, bed frames, headboards, and cracks or crevices near sleeping areas.
Diet & Feeding
Obligate hematophages, meaning they feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals, primarily humans.
Behavior Patterns
Nocturnal insects that emerge at night to feed. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult) and can survive for several months without a blood meal.
Risks & Benefits
Risks include itchy welts, allergic reactions, and psychological distress/insomnia. They are not known to routinely transmit diseases to humans. There are no known ecological benefits to human environments.
Identified on: 4/26/2026