Bed Bug (nymph stage)

Commonly found in residential and hospitality settings, specifically in mattress seams, bed frames, furniture, and wall crevices near human sleeping areas.

Obligate hematophages, meaning they feed exclusively on the blood of vertebrates, primarily humans.

They are nocturnal, emerging at night to feed. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis with five nymphal stages, each requiring a blood meal to molt. They can survive months without feeding.

Risks include itchy allergic reactions to bites, sleep deprivation, and psychological distress. While not known to transmit diseases to humans, they are a significant nuisance and expensive to eradicate. They provide no known ecosystem benefits in human habitats.