Cimex lectularius

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Species of true bug

title: "Cimex lectularius" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cosmopolitan-insects", "cimicidae", "insects-described-in-1758", "animal-taxa-named-by-carl-linnaeus", "bed-bug"] description: "Species of true bug" topic_path: "general/cosmopolitan-insects" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cimex_lectularius" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Species of true bug ::

| image = Bed_bug,Cimex_lectularius(9627010587).jpg | image_caption = Adult | genus = Cimex | species = lectularius | authority = Linnaeus, 1758

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Adult_bed_bug,_Cimex_lectularius.jpg" caption="Adult"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/BedBugwithMeasure.jpg" caption="Adult"] ::

Cimex lectularius, or the common bed bug, is a species of Cimicidae. Its primary hosts are humans, and it is one of the world's major "nuisance pests."

Although bed bugs can be infected with at least 28 human pathogens, no studies have found that the insects are capable of transmitting any of these to humans. They have been found with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE), but the significance of this is still unknown.

Investigations into potential transmission of HIV, MRSA, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and hepatitis E have not shown that bed bugs can spread these diseases. However, there is some evidence that arboviruses may be transmissible.

Bed bug bites or cimicosis may lead to a range of skin manifestations from no visible effects to prominent blisters. Effects include skin rashes, psychological effects, and allergic symptoms.

Occurrence and distribution

Cimex lectularius is found all over the world in almost every area that has been settled by humans. In the past, bed bugs were particularly an affliction of the poor and occurred in mass shelters. However, in the early part of the modern resurgence it was the tourist areas that were impacted. Today, bed bugs have conquered quite diverse locations, ranging from hospitals and hotels, to trains, cruise ships and even airplanes. Most commonly, bed bugs travel as stowaways in luggage, although they can be transferred via furnishing and other belongings, as well by spreading to adjoining properties. Since there are no mandatory reporting requirements, exact figures on the occurrence of bed bugs are unknown and, due to the stigma often associated, many infestations are simply not reported.

Life cycle

If feeding regularly, a female bed bug can lay between two and three eggs per day throughout her adult lifetime, which may last several months, allowing one female to produce hundreds of offspring under optimal conditions. The tiny (

Resistance

Some populations have evolved resistance to insecticides. Seong et al., 2010 find deltamethrin resistance provided by an allele – – of the voltage gated sodium channel. Seong et al. also find a dose–response relationship of resistance to L925I copy number.

References

References

  1. (2009). "Bedbugs". Dermatologic Therapy.
  2. Melnick, Meredith. (12 May 2011). "Study: Bedbugs May Carry MRSA; Germ Transmission Unclear".
  3. (11 May 2011). "Do Bedbugs Spread MRSA and VRE?". Webmd.com.
  4. (Aug 2013). "Bed bugs and infectious disease: a case for the arboviruses". PLOS Pathogens.
  5. James, William D.. (2006). "Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: clinical Dermatology". Saunders Elsevier.
  6. (November 2009). "Bed bugs – What the GP needs to know". Aust Fam Physician.
  7. (September 2016). "On the rise worldwide: Bed Bugs and Cimicosis". British Journal of Medical Practitioners.
  8. (6 December 2012). "A Colour Atlas of Medical Entomology". Springer Science & Business Media.
  9. (2022). "Insect Resistance Management: Biology, Economics, and Prediction".
  10. (2022). "New and Future Development in Biopesticide Research: Biotechnological Exploration".

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cosmopolitan-insectscimicidaeinsects-described-in-1758animal-taxa-named-by-carl-linnaeusbed-bug