What does a bedbug queen look like? - briefly
A bedbug queen resembles other adult females: a wingless, flat, reddish‑brown insect about 5–7 mm long with a pointed abdomen. She is generally marginally larger and more robust than the typical female.
What does a bedbug queen look like? - in detail
The reproductive female of Cimex lectularius, often referred to as the queen, resembles other adult bedbugs in overall shape and coloration. It measures approximately 5–7 mm in length when unfed and can expand to 10 mm or more after a blood meal. The body is oval, dorsally flattened, and covered with a matte, reddish‑brown exoskeleton that darkens to a deep mahogany after feeding.
Key morphological traits:
- Head: Small, triangular, equipped with a pair of prominent, compound eyes and three-segmented antennae. No wings are present.
- Thorax: Six legs, each ending in a pair of curved claws that allow the insect to cling to fabric and mattress seams. Legs are covered with fine setae for sensory detection.
- Abdomen: The most distinctive region for the reproductive female. It is broader and more rounded than that of males, especially after engorgement, giving a visibly swollen appearance. The abdomen houses the ovipositor, a short, needle‑like structure used to deposit eggs into crevices.
- Mouthparts: Piercing‑sucking beak (rostrum) extending forward from the head, composed of four stylet-like components for blood extraction.
Physiological differences:
- The queen produces a single batch of eggs after each blood meal, laying 1–5 eggs per day for up to 200 eggs in a lifetime.
- Hormonal regulation leads to a longer interval between molts compared with males, resulting in a slightly larger adult size.
- After mating, the female stores sperm in a spermatheca, allowing continuous egg fertilization without further copulation.
Overall, the queen does not possess unique external markings separate from other adults; its identification relies on size, abdominal fullness, and reproductive status rather than distinct coloration or specialized structures.