How might a bedbug look? - briefly
A bedbug is a small, oval, reddish‑brown insect roughly 4–5 mm in length, with a flat dorsal surface, visible antennae, and six short legs. Its segmented body lacks wings, and it possesses simple ocelli for eyes.
How might a bedbug look? - in detail
A bed bug is a small, oval‑shaped insect, typically measuring 4–5 mm in length when unfed and expanding to about 7 mm after a blood meal. The body is dorsoventrally flattened, facilitating movement beneath mattress seams and furniture crevices.
The exoskeleton displays a matte, reddish‑brown hue that darkens after feeding. The head is concealed beneath the pronotum, which bears a distinctive, shield‑like plate extending across the thorax. Six legs, each ending in two tarsal claws, attach to the thoracic segments and enable rapid crawling on vertical surfaces. Antennae consist of five slender segments, each equipped with sensory sensilla.
Key morphological characteristics:
- Pronotum: triangular, edged with a faint pale line separating it from the abdomen.
- Abdomen: composed of six visible segments; each segment bears fine setae and may exhibit a faint orange‑red coloration after engorgement.
- Mouthparts: elongated, stylet‑like proboscis housed within a labial sheath, adapted for piercing skin and extracting blood.
- Wings: absent; locomotion relies exclusively on leg movement.
The insect’s silhouette, combined with its coloration and the presence of the pronotal shield, distinguishes it from similar arthropods such as carpet beetles or ticks. The lack of wings and the flattened body are adaptations for a cryptic, nocturnal lifestyle within human dwellings.