Bed Bug
Scientific Name: Cimex lectularius
Order & Family: Order Hemiptera, Family Cimicidae
Size: Typically 5 to 7 millimeters in length (about the size of an apple seed) when fully grown.
Natural Habitat
Found globally indoors in residential settings, hotels, and communal spaces; they typically hide in mattress seams, bed frames, cracks, and crevices near sleeping areas.
Diet & Feeding
Obligate hematophagous (blood-feeders), primarily targeting humans but may feed on other warm-blooded animals.
Behavior Patterns
Nocturnal parasites that emerge at night to feed. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult) and can survive for several months without a meal in cool conditions.
Risks & Benefits
Risk: Causes itchy, red welts and psychological distress/insomnia. While they are not known to transmit diseases to humans, they are difficult and expensive to eradicate. Benefit: None to humans or standard ecosystems.
Identified on: 3/6/2026