What does a swollen bedbug look like? - briefly
A swollen bedbug appears enlarged, with a distended, pale‑gray abdomen that looks like a small, ballooned sack, and its body becomes softer and more translucent. The legs and antennae remain visible, while the overall shape is rounded and the insect moves sluggishly.
What does a swollen bedbug look like? - in detail
An engorged bedbug presents a markedly distended abdomen that can exceed the size of its unfed state by up to three times. The body becomes rounded, resembling a small, translucent balloon; the cuticle appears stretched and semi‑transparent, allowing internal organs to be faintly visible. Color shifts from the typical reddish‑brown of a starved insect to a lighter, almost amber hue due to the blood meal. The legs and antennae remain slender and retain their dark pigmentation, contrasting with the swollen torso. The head and thorax stay proportionally smaller, creating a noticeable bulge in the posterior region.
Key visual indicators:
- Abdomen length: up to 5 mm (compared with 2–3 mm when empty)
- Overall shape: oval, balloon‑like, lacking the flat profile of unfed specimens
- Transparency: cuticle becomes semi‑clear, revealing blood‑filled gut
- Color change: from dark brown to pale amber or reddish‑orange
- Leg and antennae coloration: unchanged, dark brown to black, providing contrast
When the insect is recently fed, the abdomen may appear glossy due to the moist blood content. As digestion proceeds, the abdomen gradually contracts, returning to its normal size and darker coloration. Recognizing these characteristics aids in accurate identification of a recently fed bedbug.