What's Eating You? Bedbugs Revisited (Cimex lectularius)

The common bedbug, Cimex lectularius, is a member of the family Cimicidae and the genus Cimex. Belonging to the order Hemiptera, its relatives include reduviid bugs as well as common garden pests such as stink bugs, aphids, and cicadas. Bedbugs are distributed in temperate and tropical regions worldwide. In the last 10 years, the number of US households affected by these insects has markedly increased and bedbugs have become a serious urban pest worldwide. This resurgence of bedbug infestations has renewed interest in the biology and toxicology of these insects.