Common Bed Bug Cimex lectularius

Photo of Common Bed Bug (Cimex lectularius)

(c) Ruben Ciantia, some rights reserved (CC BY)

OrderTrue Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and allies (Hemiptera)
FamilyBed Bugs (Cimicidae)
GenusCimex (Cimex)

The common bed bug is humanity's most persistent tiny enemy, with humans as its primary and preferred host. This creature has mastered the art of hitchhiking across the globe in luggage and belongings, earning its place as one of the world's major "nuisance pests." Living up to its notorious reputation, it's responsible for countless sleepless nights and an entire industry devoted to its eradication โ€” the fact that something so small has caused so much frustration says everything about how spectacularly successful it has become.

Think you can identify this one in the wild?

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