THE ANIMAL FILES

Common bedbug

Cimex lectularius

A parasite can feed on a host without living on it between meals.

Common bedbugs take brief blood meals and spend much of their time in concealed resting places. Their development passes through several immature stages before adulthood. Movement with belongings helps explain their broad association with human environments.[1]

Follow the evidence ↓
Common bedbug
Image: AJC1 from UK · Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Feeding
Blood meals[1]
Between meals
Concealed harbourages away from the host[1]
Transport
Can travel with luggage and belongings[1]

A short visit to the host

Bedbugs contact a host to feed, then return to concealed harbourages rather than remaining attached. Eggs are placed within these resting spaces. The location of the meal and the location where much of life is spent are therefore different. Host association should not be confused with continuous residence on a body.[1]

Growing through immature stages

Immature bedbugs require blood meals as they develop and moult. Warmer conditions can accelerate development, while cooler ones slow it. A timetable reported at room temperature cannot be applied to every building or season. The adult and developing stages share the need for blood, without having identical growth demands.[1]

Travelling without a planned journey

Luggage, furnishings and other belongings can transport bedbugs between places, and movement between adjoining properties also occurs. Occurrence is not limited to one type of accommodation or social setting. These are dispersal pathways, not evidence that the insect chooses a destination in the way a migrating bird does.[1]

A COMMON MIX-UP

Does an external parasite necessarily stay on its host all day?

No. Bedbugs return to concealed resting places between brief meals.[1]

TRY A LITTLE REASONING

Why inspect life-cycle habitat separately from the place where feeding happens?

Reveal the explanation

Eggs and resting insects occupy harbourages away from the host, so observing a meal does not locate every stage.[1]

Sources & editorial notes

Adapted and translated from the cited Wikipedia revisions, with source-linked reasoning. Image credit and licence are listed separately above.

Adapted and translated from Wikipedia contributors; exact revisions are linked below. CC BY-SA 4.0

  1. Wikipedia contributors — Cimex lectularius (adapted and translated; exact revision)
  2. NCBI Taxonomy — Cimex lectularius (identity and game lineage)

Last fact check:

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