GJA'A UL 7 — THE BEDE UG 
Gi 
1905J 
THE BEDBUG, CLINOCORIS ( = C/A/EX=ACAiVTHE4=A’L/NO- 
ITIILOS) LECTULARIA LINN.EUS. 
Part I. Life-history at Paris, Texas, with Ifiological Notes, and Some (Consider- 
ations on the Present State of Our Knowledge Concerning It. 
BY ALEC.\NDRk .\RSKNE GIR.AULT, WASHINGTON, D. C. 
Although the habits and life of this abominable inhabitant of the dwellings 
of man are now tolerably well known, yet, there remain certain points in its 
economy which are still open questions to us. The writer does not intend to go 
into these very fully, but first offers some detailed notes obtained from observa- 
tions made from time to time on this insect, and then tries to point out certain 
important, neglected phases in its life-history. 
Hitherto, authors, excepting a few, have seemed inclined to rush hurriedly 
over the discussion of this insect, as if ashamed, and hence it has been, compara- 
tively speaking, much neglected. It is the insect most directly affecting man, 
and the one, if any, which should be thoroughly studied, and yet, not until as late 
as 1896 ( Marlatt, 1896 a) was its true life-history made known. After giving 
the following detailed notes, which may be of interest, the writer will enter a 
little more fully into this subject. The observations, unless otherwise stated, 
were made at Paris, Texas, about 33° 45' north latitude, and though of secondary 
importance, they are thus detailed because definiteness on all points in the life- 
history of the bedbug is evidently lacking. 
.\s the food-supply is the factor directly determining the lengths of the 
instars in this insect, it is apparetifly true that climatic conditions have very 
little significance in this respect ; for any single instar in its postembryonic 
development may be indefinitely prolonged by the total absence of food, or may 
be varied at will by giving food at variable time-periods in the different instars. 
But, under what may be called normal conditions, in which the insect is attend- 
ing a constant host, and hence, is having an optimum amount of food, the climatic 
conditions must necessarily influence the length of the different instars, and there- 
fore a life-history to be at all representative must be taken when under such con- 
ditions.-* Eor it is well known that the preparatory stages of ecdy.ses are much 
lengthened by cold, and much shortened by heat, most easily seen in lepidopter- 
Compare foctt-i 
seq. 
