STRUCTURE OF BEDBUGS 



371 



Bedbugs 



General Account. The bedbugs belong to the family Cimi- 

 cidse. They have broad flat bodies, and are devoid of wings, 

 except for a pair of spiny pads which represent the first pair of 

 wings (Fig. 163). The first segment of the thorax has winglike 

 expansions at the sides which grow forward and partially sur- 

 round the small head. In the 

 male the abdomen is quite 

 pointed at the tip, whereas in 

 the female it is evenly rounded, 

 the contour of the abdomen 

 being almost a perfect circle in 

 unfed bugs. The eyes project 

 prominently at the sides of the 

 head, the flexible four-jointed 

 antennae are constantly moved 

 about in front of the head, 

 and the jointed beak is folded 

 under the head so that it is 

 entirely invisible from above. 

 The legs have the usual seg- 

 ments, the tarsi being three- 

 jointed. The greater part of 

 the body is covered with bristles 

 set in little cup-shaped depres- 

 sions. These depressions are perforated at the bottom to allow 

 for the passage of muscles which move the bristles. Murray 

 describes having seen bugs raise the bristles upon meeting each 

 other as cats raise their hairs or birds their feathers. The bristles 

 are of two kinds, one a simple slender spine, the other with a 

 stouter flattened end, with sawlike teeth along the thinner edge. 

 In addition to both kinds of bristles, the legs also have a dense 

 brush of hairs at the end of each tibia. When a bug is distended 

 with blood a smooth shining band can be seen at the base of each 

 abdominal segment where no bristles occur (Fig. 163). These 

 bands are the portions of the segments which are not ordinarily 

 exposed, being overlapped by the preceding segment. 



One of the most striking characteristics of bedbugs is the 

 peculiar pungent odor so well known to all who have had to con- 



FIG. 163. 



Bedbug, Cimex lectularius, 

 female. X 10. 



