What is the name of the green bed bug? - briefly
The green bed bug is the species Cimex hemipterus, commonly known as the tropical bed bug.
What is the name of the green bed bug? - in detail
The insect commonly referred to as the green‑colored bed bug is Cimex hemipterus, also known as the tropical bed bug.
Cimex hemipterus belongs to the family Cimicidae. It is native to warm, humid regions of Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, and it has spread internationally through travel and trade. Adults measure 4–5 mm in length, have a flattened oval body, and display a pale to greenish hue after a blood meal, distinguishing them from the more reddish‑brown common bed bug (Cimex lectularius).
Key biological traits:
- Feeding habit: hematophagous; feeds primarily on human blood at night, retreating to cracks and crevices during daylight.
- Reproduction: females lay 1–5 eggs per day, each egg encased in a protective operculum; development proceeds through five nymphal instars before reaching adulthood.
- Temperature tolerance: optimal development occurs between 24 °C and 30 °C; survival declines sharply below 15 °C.
- Resistance: populations have shown increasing tolerance to pyrethroid insecticides, necessitating integrated pest‑management strategies.
Control measures focus on:
- Inspection and removal: thorough examination of bedding, furniture, and wall voids; mechanical extraction of live insects and eggs.
- Heat treatment: raising ambient temperature to ≥ 50 °C for several hours to achieve complete mortality.
- Chemical application: using EPA‑registered products with proven efficacy against resistant strains, applied according to label directions.
- Monitoring: deploying interceptors and pheromone‑based traps to detect early infestations and evaluate treatment success.
Accurate identification of Cimex hemipterus, combined with a coordinated approach that integrates sanitation, physical eradication, and targeted chemicals, is essential for effective management of infestations involving this green‑toned bed bug species.