Bug Identifier
Bed Bug
Community identification

Bed Bug

Cimex lectularius

Order & Family
Order: Hemiptera, Family: Cimicidae
Size
4 to 5 mm (adults), roughly the size of an apple seed.
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

Natural Habitat

Found globally in human dwellings, particularly in cracks and crevices near sleeping areas such as mattresses, bed frames, and headboards.

Diet & Feeding

Obligate hematophages; they feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals, primarily humans.

Behavior Patterns

Mainly nocturnal but may venture out in day to feed if hungry; they undergo hemimetabolous metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult) and require a blood meal to progress through each of the five nymphal stages.

Risks & Benefits

They do not known to transmit diseases but cause psychological distress, sleep deprivation, and itchy allergic reactions; they are considered a resilient pest with no ecological benefits to human environments.