ArticlePDF Available

Bed Bugs (Cimex Lectularius) and Bat Bugs (several Cimex Species): A Confusing Issue

June 2012
Outlooks on Pest Management 23(3)

DOI:10.1564/23jun09

Authors:

Gerald Baker

Mississippi State University

Flavia Ferrari

Currently, bed bugs are one of the most pressing "vector" issues in pest control and environmental health, with increasing reports of the blood-sucking pest being reported in hotels, apartments, and single-family dwellings. Negative health effects from their bites include emotional distress (anxiety, insomnia, and perhaps even Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-like symptoms), nuisance bites and their associated cutaneous reactions, anemia, and potential disease transmission. Although bed bugs have been found naturally infected with a variety of disease agents, they have not been conclusively proven to transmit these organisms. Pest management professionals and environmental health specialists are on the front line of the bed bug battle, often being asked to investigate cases in private homes and apartments, as well as in public places such as hotels, hospitals, and schools. Compounding the issue is the fact that bat bugs may infest these places as well, especially if there are bats roosting in them (Usinger 1966). Bat bugs such as Cimex pipistrelli (Europe), Cimex pilosellus (western US), and Cimex adjunctus (entire eastern US) may sometimes bite people visiting or residing near the nesting or roosting sites of these species. Treatment/eradication strategies for bat bugs differ from that of bed bugs, and mainly involve solving the bat problem (not lethally, but by exclusion). Although bat bugs may occasionally bite humans, the bugs are not well-adapted to feeding on people. Bat bugs appear macroscopically identical to bed bugs, but closer examination can reveal differences. This article compares and contrasts identification of the bed bug, Cimex lectularius, and the commonly-encountered bat bug, Cimex adjunctus, and provides comments on treatment and control of each.

whole bug comparison of bat bug and bed bug, 22x.

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Close-up comparison of bat bug and bed bug bristle lengths, 45x.

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Hind femora, bat bug (L) and bed bug (R), 60x.

…

Figures - uploaded by Flavia Ferrari

Content may be subject to copyright.

Content uploaded by Flavia Ferrari

Content may be subject to copyright.

BED BUGS AND BAT BUGS

DOI: 10.1564/23jun09 Outlooks on Pest Management – June 2012 125

BED BUGS (CIMEX LECTULARIUS) AND BAT BUGS (SEVERAL CIMEX

SPECIES): A CONFUSING ISSUE

Jerome Goddard, Ph.D.1 Gerald T. Baker, Ph.D.1 Flavia G. Ferrari, D.V.M.2 and Claudenir Ferrari, B.S.3,

1Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University,

USA; 2Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, USA;

3Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, USA.

bristles at the sides of the pronotum, to make sure members of

these particular collections were within published size ranges

of the bugs (Usinger 1966). Then, specimens were processed

for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) or hematoxylin and

eosin staining (H&E). For SEM, specimens were ﬁxed in half-

strength Karnovsky’s ﬁxative, dehydrated in a graded series of

ethanol, then air dried from HMDS. After mounting the spec-

imens on aluminum stubs with carbon tape, they were coated

with gold/palladium and then examined with a JEOL-JSM-

6500F at 5kV. H&E staining followed standard protocols

for insects (Ma et al. 2009), wherein 10µm sections were cut

with a microtome and transferred to a glass microscope slide

for staining and subsequent observation by light microscopy.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Scanning electron microscopy allows for easy and detailed

comparisons of bed and bat bugs. The bat bug, Cimex adjunc-

tus, may appear to the naked eye as a common bed bug, but

closer examination reveals otherwise. Bat bugs clearly have

longer bristles all over their body, a feature especially evident

on the pronotal margins (Figures 1–2). This one character-

istic can be ascertained by a pest management professional

using a magnifying glass or hand lens. The eyes of bed bugs

are more protruding than those of bat bugs. One way to

measure this is to compare the outer eye margin with the ﬁrst

antennal segment (Fig. 3). In bed bugs, the eyes generally

exceed the length of the ﬁrst antennal segment. The hind

femur of bat bugs is clearly wider than that of the bed bug

(Fig. 4). This too can be seen with a magnifying glass or hand

INTRODUCTION

Currently, bed bugs are one of the most pressing “vector”

issues in pest control and environmental health, with increas-

ing reports of the blood-sucking pest being reported in hotels,

apartments, and single-family dwellings (Gangloff-Kauff-

mann et al. 2006; Anderson & Lefﬂer 2008; Goddard & de

Shazo 2008). Negative health effects from their bites include

emotional distress (anxiety, insomnia, and perhaps even Post-

traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-like symptoms), nuisance

bites and their associated cutaneous reactions, anemia, and

potential disease transmission (Goddard & de Shazo 2008;

Goddard & de Shazo 2012). Although bed bugs have been

found naturally infected with a variety of disease agents, they

have not been conclusively proven to transmit these organ-

isms (Goddard & de Shazo 2009). Pest management profes-

sionals and environmental health specialists are on the front

line of the bed bug battle, often being asked to investigate

cases in private homes and apartments, as well as in public

places such as hotels, hospitals, and schools. Compound-

ing the issue is the fact that bat bugs may infest these places

as well, especially if there are bats roosting in them (Usinger

1966). Bat bugs such as Cimex pipistrelli (Europe), Cimex

pilosellus (western US), and Cimex adjunctus (entire east-

ern US) may sometimes bite people visiting or residing near

the nesting or roosting sites of these species (Krinsky 2002).

Treatment/eradication strategies for bat bugs differ from that

of bed bugs, and mainly involve solving the bat problem (not

lethally, but by exclusion). Although bat bugs may occasion-

ally bite humans, the bugs are not well-adapted to feeding

on people. Bat bugs appear macroscopically identical to bed

bugs, but closer examination can reveal differences. This

article compares and contrasts identiﬁcation of the bed bug,

Cimex lectularius, and the commonly-encountered bat bug,

Cimex adjunctus, and provides comments on treatment and

control of each.

METHODS

For this study, ten bed bugs (6 males and 4 females) were

obtained from an apartment complex in Jackson, MS, and

ten bat bugs (7 males and 3 females) were obtained from a bat

infested residence near Southaven, MS. Bed and bat bugs were

identiﬁed using standard keys (Usinger 1966) and stored in

70% ethanol until analyzed. First, by light microscopy, over-

all size of the specimens were measured, along with other key

characters such as width of the hind femora and length of the Figure 1. Whole bug comparison of bat bug and bed bug, 22x.

126 Outlooks on Pest Management – June 2012

BED BUGS AND BAT BUGS

lens. H&E staining (Fig. 5) of bed bugs and bat bugs revealed

internal musculature, gut, and reproductive tissues, although

no obvious differences, other than those already mentioned

(eyes protruding and wider hind femurs), were noted between

the species. Musculature of the cibarial pump, used to suck

blood, was especially visible upon H&E staining (Fig. 6).

CONCLUSIONS

Bed bugs will continue to be a problem for the foreseeable

future. Pest management professionals should take every

opportunity to learn about their habits and biology, as well as

that of related bugs, so as to advise the public about preven-

tion, management, and control better. As is the case with

many other pests, correct identiﬁcation is critically important

in choosing treatment and control strategies. True bed bugs

require an aggressive approach using non-chemical methods

such as sealing cracks and crevices, mattress encasements,

heat (steam or dry), cold, and/or vacuuming, as well as chemi-

cal treatments such as dusts, contact or residual sprays and

(possibly) fumigation. Bat bug management in the US should

be focused on bat control, the reservoir host, with some resid-

ual chemical treatment to rid the area of any remaining bugs.

Bat control is primarily accomplished through batprooﬁng,

i.e., sealing all entry and exit openings or other bat passage-

ways when the bats are out of the building at night. With

the exception of baby bats during early summer, the entire

bat population usually leaves a building within a few minutes

after dark, so batprooﬁng should be done during that time.

Eliminating bats should lead to complete resolution of the bat

bug problem in a building.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Richard Kukinski and Amanda Lawrence of the Mississippi

State University Institute for Imaging and Analytical Technol-

ogy provided technical assistance with the scanning electron

microscopy. This article has been approved for publication

as Journal Article No. J-12017 of the Mississippi Agriculture

and Forestry Experiment Station, Mississippi State University.

References

Anderson, A. L., and K. Lefﬂer. 2008. Bedbug infestations in the

news: a picture of an emerging public health problem in the

United States. J. Environ. Hlth. 70: 24-27.

Gangloff-Kauffmann, J., C. Hollingsworth, J. Hahn, L. Hansen,

B. Kard, and M. Waldvogel. 2006. Bed bugs in America: a

Figure 2. Close-up comparison of bat bug and bed bug bristle lengths,

45x.

Figure 3. Differences in eyes, bat bug (L) and bed bug (R), 45x.

Figure 4. Hind femora, bat bug (L) and bed bug (R), 60x.

Figure 5. H&E staining of internal structures of female bed

bug. Legend, arrows, left to right – partially-digested blood in gut;

musculature of legs; eye.

Figure 6. Cibarial pump region by SEM and cross-section by H&E

staining, arrows pointing to musculature.

BED BUGS AND BAT BUGS

Outlooks on Pest Management – June 2012 127

pest management industry survey. Pest Control Technology

Magazine, November issue, 46-60.

Goddard, J., and R. D. de Shazo. 2008. Rapid rise in bed bug

populations: the need to include them in the differential diagnosis

of mysterious skin rashes. South. Med. J. 101: 854-855.

Goddard, J., and R. D. de Shazo. 2009. Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius)

and clinical consequences of their bites. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 301:

1358-1366.

Goddard, J., and R. D. de Shazo. 2012. Psychological effects of bed

bug attacks (Cimex lectularius L.). Am. J. Med. 125: 101-103.

Krinsky, W. L. 2002. True bugs, pp. 67-86. In G. Mullen and L.

Durden [eds.], Medical and Veterinary Entomology. Academic

Press, New York, USA.

Ma, H., Z.-G. Liu, Y. Bao, P.-Z. Ran, and N.-S. Zhong. 2009.

Morphology and three-dimensional reconstruction of the

digestive system of Periplaneta americana. J. Med. Entomol. 46:

165-168.

May, M. 2007. Bedbugs bounce back in all 50 states. The San

Francisco Chronicle, Sunday, April 8 issue, pp A1, A8.

Usinger, R. L. 1966. Monograph of Cimicidae. Entomological Society

of America, Thomas Say Foundation College Park, MD, USA.

Jerome Goddard is an Associate Extension Professor of Medical and Veterinary

Entomology, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and

Plant Pathology at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi. Prior

to coming to MSU, he was the State Medical Entomologist for the Missis-

sippi Department of Health for 20 years. His research focuses on the medical

and health effects of bed bugs and current work addresses the role of sali-

vary secretions in production of chemo/cytokines and subsequent skin lesion

development.

Gerald T. Baker is a Professor of Entomology in the Department of Biochemistry,

Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology at Mississippi State Univer-

sity in Starkville, Mississippi. His research focuses on insect, mite and spider

morphology in the area of the ultrastructure of cuticular sensilla, especially in

how the morphology, number and distribution of sensillae change during post-

embryonic development of a particular species.

Flavia Girao Ferrari is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Basic Sciences

in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University. Her

research interests lie in infectious diseases of human and other animals, partic-

ularly those that are vector-borne. Her doctoral research comprises a study

of spotted fever group rickettsiae in Gulf Coast ticks from Mississippi, genetic

variability analyses of tick and rickettsial populations, and a descriptive study of

a potential endosymbiont found in this tick species.

Claudenir Ferrari is a master’s student in the Department of Clinical Sciences in

the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University. His research

interests lie in histopathology and for his master’s research, he studied an

asthma-like condition in horses as a model for human asthma using several

histopathological analyses.

Similar articles that appeared in Outlooks on Pest Management include – 2001 12(4) 159;

2007 18(2) 57

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