Bed Bug (Fragment/Cast Skin)

Scientific Name: Cimex lectularius

Order & Family: Hemiptera: Cimicidae

Size: 1.5 mm to 5 mm (adults), though the image likely shows a smaller nymph or body fragment

Bed Bug (Fragment/Cast Skin)

Natural Habitat

Exclusively indoor environments near human sleeping areas, including seams of mattresses, box springs, headboards, and cracks in furniture or walls.

Diet & Feeding

Hematophagous (feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals, primarily humans).

Behavior Patterns

Nocturnal and cryptic; they hide during the day in tight crevices and emerge at night to feed. They are attracted to body heat and carbon dioxide.

Risks & Benefits

Risks: Significant nuisance pest causing itchy bites, allergic reactions, and psychological distress. While they are not known vectors of disease, infestations are difficult and costly to eradicate. Benefits: None known to humans or ecosystems outside of being a food source for predators like spiders or centipedes.

Identified on: 2/9/2026