What does a female bedbug look like? - briefly
«The adult female of Cimex lectularius is a reddish‑brown, oval, wingless insect measuring roughly 5–7 mm, with a noticeably enlarged, rounded abdomen after a blood meal». It lacks the pale transverse bands typical of males and displays a broader, smoother silhouette.
What does a female bedbug look like? - in detail
The adult female of the common bed bug, «Cimex lectularius», measures roughly 5–7 mm in length, making it slightly larger than the male. Its body is dorsoventrally flattened, facilitating movement within narrow crevices. The coloration ranges from light brown after a recent blood meal to a darker, reddish‑brown hue when unfed, with a glossy, waxy cuticle that may appear matte under certain lighting.
Key morphological features include:
- Head: Small, triangular, equipped with a pair of long, slender antennae composed of five segments; the antennae are sensory, detecting heat and carbon dioxide.
- Mouthparts: Prominent, needle‑like proboscis (rostrum) extending forward, adapted for piercing skin and extracting blood.
- Thorax: Three distinct segments bearing six legs; each leg ends in a clawed tip for gripping fabric and surfaces.
- Wings: Two vestigial hemelytra covering the abdomen; they are non‑functional for flight and appear as short, hardened plates.
- Abdomen: Oval, slightly swollen after feeding; the dorsal surface shows a series of pale, transverse bands that become less distinct with age. The ventral side houses the reproductive organs and a single genital opening.
- Egg‑laying capacity: After a blood meal, a female can produce up to 5 eggs per day, depositing them in concealed locations. The eggs are tiny (≈1 mm), oval, and chalky white, adhering to surfaces with a sticky coating.
The combination of a flattened body, enlarged abdomen after engorgement, and the characteristic coloration distinguishes the adult female from other life stages and from the male, which is smaller, slimmer, and exhibits a lighter, more uniform brown tone.