Bedbugs

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The page below is a sample from the LabCE course Arthropods and the Clinical Laboratory. Access the complete course and earn ASCLS P.A.C.E.-approved continuing education credits by subscribing online.

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Bedbugs

Bedbugs are included in the genus Cimex. Cimex lectularius and Cimex hemipterus are the two species that infest humans. These arthropods feed on blood, usually at night. Their bites can cause skin rashes.
Bedbugs appear:
  • Reddish-brown in color
  • Approximately 4.0-5.0 mm in length
  • Male and female specimens may look quite different from one another, so caution in identification is advised
  • One pair of four-segmented antennae
  • One pair of eyes
  • Front wings are reduced to leathery pads
  • Piercing and sucking mouthparts do not extend beyond the base of front legs
17. CDC. Image# 15870 (cropped). "...bedbug, Cimex lectularius." PHIL public domain. Created 1963. https://phil.cdc.gov/Details.aspx?pid=15870
18. CDC. Image# 15247. "This photograph depicted a dorsal view of two bedbugs, Cimex lectularius. A male on the left, and a female on the right. Note the male’s slightly pointed distal abdomen, where in females, it is rounded. Lengthwise, females are slightly larger than males." PHIL public domain. Created - no date provided. https://phil.cdc.gov/Details.aspx?pid=15247

Bedbug on skin. (17)
Dorsal view of two bedbugs (male and female), Cimex lectularius. (18)