What does a domestic bedbug look like: photos of household and outdoor? - briefly
A domestic bedbug is a tiny, flat, oval insect about 5‑7 mm long, reddish‑brown before feeding and turning a deeper, engorged red after a blood meal. It hides in mattresses, furniture seams, wall cracks, and can also be encountered in outdoor shelters such as leaf litter or garden debris.
What does a domestic bedbug look like: photos of household and outdoor? - in detail
The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) is a flat, oval‑shaped insect measuring 4–5 mm in length when unfed and about 2 mm wide. Its body is reddish‑brown, becoming paler after feeding, and the dorsal surface shows a faint, creamy‑white band across the abdomen. Antennae consist of five short segments, and the head bears a pair of compound eyes and a slender proboscis used for piercing skin. Six legs emerge from the thorax, each ending in a small claw; the legs are positioned close to the body, giving the bug a streamlined appearance.
In indoor environments, bed bugs are typically found in crevices near sleeping areas: mattress seams, box‑spring frames, headboards, and behind baseboards. Photographs taken in residences show the insects clustered in dark, sheltered spots, often partially concealed by fabric fibers. The lighting in such images emphasizes the bug’s flattened profile and the subtle contrast between the reddish abdomen and lighter thorax.
Outdoor specimens, though less common, appear identical in morphology but are usually captured in settings such as garden sheds, stored furniture, or near outdoor furniture cushions. Images from external locations often display the bugs on rough wooden surfaces or in cracks of fence panels, where the background provides a neutral gray or brown tone that highlights the insect’s coloration. In these photos, the legs and antennae are more visible because the bugs are often positioned on a flat surface with direct illumination.
Key visual identifiers:
- Length: 4–5 mm (unfed); expands to 6–7 mm after a blood meal.
- Shape: dorsoventrally flattened, oval.
- Color: reddish‑brown, lighter after feeding; creamy‑white abdominal band.
- Head: small, with five‑segmented antennae and a needle‑like proboscis.
- Legs: six, short, ending in tiny claws.
- Wings: absent; the insect is wingless.
Photographic resources typically include close‑up macro shots showing the dorsal pattern, side views that reveal the flattened body, and images of the bug in situ on bedding or outdoor materials. Such visual documentation assists in accurate identification, distinguishing bed bugs from similar pests like carpet beetles or spider mites, which differ in body shape, coloration, and leg structure.