Bug Identifier
Bed Bug
Community identification

Bed Bug

Cimex lectularius

Order & Family
Hemiptera: Cimicidae
Size
Approximately 4 to 5 millimeters in length (about the size of an apple seed).
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

Natural Habitat

Found indoors, primarily in living and sleeping quarters such as mattresses, bed frames, furniture, and cracks or crevices in walls.

Diet & Feeding

Obligate hematophages; they feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals, with a strong preference for humans.

Behavior Patterns

Mainly nocturnal and elusive, hiding during the day and emerging at night to feed. They undergo hemimetabolous metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult) and require a blood meal to molt at each stage.

Risks & Benefits

No known ecosystem benefits. Risks include itchy skin welts, allergic reactions, insomnia, and psychological distress. While they carry pathogens, they are not known to transmit diseases to humans.