What does a household bedbug and a street bedbug look like in a photo? - briefly
A household bed bug is a flat, reddish‑brown oval about 4–5 mm long, often displaying a bright orange‑red abdomen after feeding. A street (wild) bed bug looks similar in shape and size but typically has a darker brown or gray coloration and less vivid post‑feeding color.
What does a household bedbug and a street bedbug look like in a photo? - in detail
A household bedbug is a small, oval‑shaped insect measuring 4–5 mm in length when unfed. Its body is flat laterally, allowing it to hide in cracks. The dorsal surface displays a uniform reddish‑brown color that darkens after a blood meal. The head is concealed beneath the pronotum, which bears a distinct, pale, crescent‑shaped marking near the midline. Six short legs emerge from the thorax, each ending in a tiny claw. Antennae consist of four segments, each slender and slightly angled forward. The abdomen is composed of five visible segments, with the last bearing a pair of small, curved bristles.
A street‑dwelling bedbug, typically Cimex hemipterus, shares the overall oval profile but differs in several visual traits. Its length ranges from 4.5 to 5.5 mm, slightly larger than the domestic form. The coloration is a lighter, tan‑brown hue, often with a faint, mottled pattern across the dorsum. The pronotal crescent is broader and less sharply defined. Antennae are longer relative to body size, with the fourth segment noticeably elongated. The legs are proportionally longer, giving a more pronounced stance. The abdomen shows a subtle, glossy sheen, and the terminal bristles are straighter than those of the household species.
Key visual distinctions:
- Size: street variant marginally larger.
- Color: domestic specimen darker, street specimen lighter with mottling.
- Pronotal marking: narrow crescent in domestic, broader in street.
- Antennae: fourth segment longer in street form.
- Leg length: relatively longer in street variant.
In a photograph, these characteristics allow reliable identification when the insect is captured in focus, with adequate lighting to reveal the pronotal marking and antenna segmentation.