TATiMEES BULLETIN 



During the course of its derelopment the bedbug molts or she^s 

 its skin normally five times, and with the last molt the mmute wing 

 pads, characteristic of the adult insect, make their appearance. A 

 period of about 1 1 weeks was formerly supposed to be necessary for 

 the complete maturity of the msect, but breeding experiments with 



Fig. 3.— Bedbug: Egg and newly hatched laxva: a, Larva from below; b, larva from above; c. claw; 

 d, egg; e, hair or spine of larva. Greatly enlarged, natural size of larva and egg indicated by hair lines. 

 (Author's illustration.) 



this insect, conducted in this department in 1896, indicated that 

 the life cycle is subject to great variation, being entirely dependent 

 on warmth and food supply. Under favorable conditions of temper- 

 ature and food it was fomid that there was an average period of about 

 eight days between moltings and between the laying of eggs and 

 their hatching, giving about seven weeks as the period imder these 



r IG. 4.— Bedbug: o. Larval skin shed at first molt; b, second larval stage immediately after emerging from 

 (i; c, same after first meal, distended with blood. Oreally enlarged. (.\uthor's illustration.) 



conditions from egg to adult insect. The molting periods are shorter 

 in the earlier stages and lengthen in the later stages. There are many 

 exceptions, however, and some individuals even under the same 

 conditions remam two or three weeks without molting. Under con- 

 ditions of famine, or without food, as already shown, the bedbug may 

 remain unchanged in any of the immature stages for an indefinite 



