What do house bedbugs look like: female and male? - briefly
Adult common bedbugs are flat, oval insects about 4–5 mm long, reddish‑brown before feeding and turning brighter red after a blood meal; females are larger with a broader, more rounded abdomen, while males are slightly smaller and slimmer. Both sexes possess six legs, antennae, and wingless bodies.
What do house bedbugs look like: female and male? - in detail
Adult house‑dwelling bedbugs (Cimex lectularius) measure 4.5–5.5 mm in length, 2.5–3 mm in width, and possess a dorsally flattened, oval body. Exoskeleton coloration ranges from light brown to deep reddish‑brown after a blood meal; unfed insects appear pale tan. Six legs emerge from the thorax, each ending in a pair of claws, and a pair of short, filamentous antennae extends forward. Compound eyes sit on the dorsal surface, and the mouthparts form a slender, needle‑like proboscis for piercing skin.
Females exhibit a broader, more rounded abdomen to accommodate developing eggs. The ventral side often shows a slight bulge where the ovipositor is located, although it is not externally prominent. Body mass is typically greater than that of males, especially after engorgement, and the overall silhouette appears more robust. In gravid individuals, the abdomen may appear swollen and display a faint, translucent outline of eggs through the cuticle.
Males possess a narrower, tapered abdomen and a less pronounced ventral bulge. The terminal abdominal segment houses the aedeagus, which can be observed as a small, pointed structure when the insect is examined under magnification. Overall body size is marginally smaller, and the silhouette is more elongated. Male specimens often have slightly longer antennae relative to body length, aiding in detection of female pheromones.
Both sexes share these diagnostic traits:
- Dorsally flattened, oval shape
- Six legs with two‑clawed tarsi
- Pair of short antennae
- Compound eyes positioned laterally on the dorsal surface
- Reddish‑brown coloration after feeding, pale tan when unfed
- Elongated, beak‑like proboscis for hematophagy
Key visual cues for sex differentiation:
- Female: broader abdomen, visible ovipositor region, generally larger and more convex body profile.
- Male: narrower abdomen, pointed aedeagus, slightly longer antennae, more streamlined silhouette.
These morphological details enable reliable identification of male and female house‑infesting bedbugs during inspection or laboratory analysis.