Bed Bug

Scientific Name: Cimex lectularius

Order & Family: Order: Hemiptera; Family: Cimicidae

Size: 1mm to 7mm (this specimen appears to be a crushed adult or nymph showing dried blood).

Bed Bug

Natural Habitat

Indoors, primarily in cracks and crevices, bed frames, mattresses, and furniture near human sleeping areas.

Diet & Feeding

Hemataphagous (feeds exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals, primarily humans).

Behavior Patterns

Nocturnal parasites that hide during the day and emerge at night to feed. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult).

Risks & Benefits

Risks include itchy allergic reactions to bites, sleep deprivation, and secondary skin infections from scratching; they are significant domestic pests. They offer no known ecosystem benefits.

Identified on: 4/29/2026