What does a clothing bed bug look like? - briefly
A clothing‑infesting bed bug is a 4–5 mm, reddish‑brown, oval, flat insect that swells and turns lighter after feeding. It possesses six legs with tiny claws and two small dark eyes near the front of its head.
What does a clothing bed bug look like? - in detail
The clothing-dwelling bed bug (Cimex hemipterus) is a small, flat, oval insect measuring 4–5 mm in length when unfed and about 2.5 mm after a blood meal. Its body is dorsally brown to reddish‑brown, turning darker after feeding. The abdomen is distinctly segmented, with each segment bearing faint, pale marginal lines. The head is concealed beneath the pronotum, giving the bug a smooth, seamless outline. Six legs emerge from the thorax, each ending in a tiny claw that enables climbing on fabrics. Antennae consist of five short segments, appearing as a thin, dark line near the front of the body.
Key visual characteristics include:
- Flat, wingless form that allows easy concealment in seams and folds of clothing.
- Elongated oval shape with a slightly pointed rear end.
- Reddish hue that intensifies after a blood meal, often leaving a faint stain on fabric.
- Visible eyes composed of tiny, dark spots on each side of the head.
- Two prominent scent glands near the thorax, which may produce a faint, musty odor when the insect is disturbed.
Unlike common household pests such as cockroaches or fleas, the clothing bed bug lacks wings, antennae are shorter, and the body remains uniformly flattened rather than cylindrical. Nymphal stages resemble the adult but are lighter in color and smaller, growing a full set of wings‑like structures only in the final molt, which remain non‑functional. These details enable accurate identification during inspection of garments, luggage, or storage containers.