The Behavioral Response to Heat in the Common Bed Bug,Cimex lectularius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Berry
Keyword(s):  
Petri Dish ◽  
Cimex Lectularius ◽  
Bed Bugs ◽  
Bed Bug ◽  
Host Interaction ◽  
Video Images ◽  
Spherical Ball ◽  
The Common ◽  
Vertebrate Hosts

AbstractThe bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., is a common ectoparasite found to live among its vertebrate hosts. Antennal segments in bugs are critical for sensing multiple cues in the environment for survival. To determine whether the thermo receptors of bed bugs are located on their antennae; innovative bioassays were created to observe the choice between heated and unheated stimuli and to characterize the response of bugs to a heat source. Additionally, the effect of complete antenectomized segments on heat detection were evaluated. Heat, carbon dioxide, and moisture are cues that are found to activate bed bug behavior; a temperature at 38°C was used to assess the direction/degree at which the insect reacts to the change in distance from said stimulus. Using a lightweight spherical ball suspended by air through a vacuum tube, bed bugs and other insects are able to move in 360° while on a stationary point. Noldus EthoVision XT was used to capture video images and to track the bed bugs during 5-min bioassays. A bioassay was created using four Petri dish arenas to observe bed bug attraction to heat based on antennae segments at 40°C. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of heat on complete antenectomized segments of the antennae. The results in this experiment suggest that bed bugs detect and are attracted to heat modulated by nutritional status. Learning the involvement of antennae segments in heat detection will help identify the location and role of thermoreceptors for bed bug host interaction.

scholarly journals Lack of influence by endosymbiont Wolbachia on virus titer in the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael L. Fisher ◽  
Jay F. Levine ◽  
James S. Guy ◽  
Hiroyuki Mochizuki ◽  
Matthew Breen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Meal ◽  
Virus Titer ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Cimex Lectularius ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Bed Bugs ◽  
Bed Bug ◽  
Post Feeding ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Common

Abstract Background The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, is an obligatory blood-feeding ectoparasite that requires a blood meal to molt and produce eggs. Their frequent biting to obtain blood meals and intimate association with humans increase the potential for disease transmission. However, despite more than 100 years of inquiry into bed bugs as potential disease vectors, they still have not been conclusively linked to any pathogen or disease. This ecological niche is extraordinarily rare, given that nearly every other blood-feeding arthropod is associated with some type of human or zoonotic disease. Bed bugs rely on the bacteria Wolbachia as an obligate endosymbiont to biosynthesize B vitamins, since they acquire a nutritionally deficient diet, but it is unknown if Wolbachia confers additional benefits to its bed bug host. In some insects, Wolbachia induces resistance to viruses such as Dengue, Chikungunya, West Nile, Drosophila C and Zika, and primes the insect immune system in other blood-feeding insects. Wolbachia might have evolved a similar role in its mutualistic association with the bed bug. In this study, we evaluated the influence of Wolbachia on virus replication within C. lectularius. Methods We used feline calicivirus as a model pathogen. We fed 40 bed bugs from an established line of Wolbachia-cured and a line of Wolbachia-positive C. lectularius a virus-laden blood meal, and quantified the amount of virus over five time intervals post-feeding. The antibiotic rifampicin was used to cure bed bugs of Wolbachia. Results There was a significant effect of time post-feeding, as the amount of virus declined by ~90% over 10 days in both groups, but no significant difference in virus titer was observed between the Wolbachia-positive and Wolbachia-cured groups. Conclusions These findings suggest that other mechanisms are involved in virus suppression within bed bugs, independent of the influence of Wolbachia, and our conclusions underscore the need for future research.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Common Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cimicidae) Susceptibility to λ-Cyhalothrin, Malathion, and Diazinon in Northeastern Iran

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 903-906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fariba Berenji ◽  
Ali Moshaverinia ◽  
Abbas Jadidoleslami ◽  
Aliakbar Shamsian ◽  
Stephen L Doggett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Filter Paper ◽  
Cimex Lectularius ◽  
Bed Bugs ◽  
Bed Bug ◽  
Response Data ◽  
Blood Sucking ◽  
Mashhad City ◽  
The Common ◽  
Student Residence ◽  
Paper Method

Abstract The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius (Linnaeus 1758), is a nocturnal blood-sucking ectoparasite of humans that is highly prevalent in the northeast of Iran. In recent years, the efficacy of those insecticides that have been frequently used to control bed bugs in Iran has not been studied. Due to frequent complaints about bed bug treatment failures in Mashhad city (northeastern Iran), this study assessed the susceptibility of C. lectularius collected from a student residence hall to Diazinon, Malathion, and λ-cyhalothrin. The desired concentrations of each insecticide were prepared in acetone, and bioassays were performed using insecticide-impregnated filter paper method. The concentration–response data were subjected to POLO-PC software and data were analyzed by the log-probit procedure. The LC50 values of Diazinon and λ-cyhalothrin for examined bed bugs were 1,337.40 and 2,022.36 ppm, respectively. Malathion at the highest concentration (10,000 ppm) did not exhibit any toxicity to examined C. lectularius. Comparing these results to the same previous studies showed that susceptibility of examined bed bugs to these insecticides has been highly decreased. This study revealed an occurrence of insecticide resistance in bed bug populations in northeastern Iran. It also suggests that Malathion, Diazinon, and λ-cyhalothrin are ineffective against bed bugs in this region.

scholarly journals Fumigation Activities of Methyl Benzoate and Its Derivatives Against the Common Bed Bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae)

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas R Larson ◽  
Aijun Zhang ◽  
Mark F Feldlaufer
Keyword(s):  
Control Agent ◽  
Methyl Benzoate ◽  
Cimex Lectularius ◽  
Agricultural Pests ◽  
Bed Bugs ◽  
Bed Bug ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Control Product ◽  
The Common ◽  
Laboratory Assay

Abstract Common bed bug Cimex lectularius (L.) (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) infestations are on the rise and due to the development of pesticide resistance they are becoming more difficult to control, affordably. We evaluated a naturally occurring compound methyl benzoate (MB) and related analogs, previously reported to have insecticidal activity on several agricultural pests, for its fumigant action on the common bed bug, C. lectularius L. A discriminating concentration was used to determine the effectiveness of MB, and several of its analogs as fumigants in a laboratory assay. It was found that MB provided >90% control of adult bed bugs in this laboratory fumigant assay. LC50 values were calculated for MB against both a pyrethroid-susceptible and a pyrethroid-resistant strain of common bed bugs. It was determined that both strains were susceptible in this laboratory assay. However, when MB was tested in a field-like assay and compared to a commercially available bed bug control product, it was found to be significantly less effective compared to the commercial product. Our study has found that while MB has the potential to be used as a bed bug control agent, refinements in the delivery system will be needed to increase efficacy under field-like conditions.

scholarly journals Xenointoxication of a Rabbit for the Control of the Common Bed Bug Cimex lectularius L. Using Ivermectin

Scientifica ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Gale E. Ridge ◽  
Wade Elmer ◽  
Stephanie Gaines ◽  
Xiaolin Li ◽  
Danie Schlatzer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Cimex Lectularius ◽  
Blood Levels ◽  
Bed Bugs ◽  
Bed Bug ◽  
Antiparasitic Drug ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Common

Human bed bug infestations have undergone a recent global resurgence. The human antiparasitic drug ivermectin has been proposed as a strategy to help control bed bug infestations, but in vivo data are lacking. We allowed separate populations of the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., to feed once on a rabbit before and after it was injected subcutaneously with 0.3 mg/kg of ivermectin, and bed bug morbidity and mortality were recorded. Ivermectin levels in the rabbit were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy. Ivermectin blood levels of ∼2 ng/mL caused reductions in bed bug fecundity, and levels of >8 ng/mL caused bed bug death and long-term morbidity including reductions in refeeding, mobility, reproduction, and molting. Gut bacterial cultures from the fed bed bugs showed that ivermectin altered the bed bug gut microbiome.

Behavioral Activity of Methyl Benzoate Against the Common Bed Bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae)

2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-349
Author(s):  
Nicholas R. Larson ◽  
Jaime Strickland ◽  
Aijun Zhang ◽  
Mark F. Feldlaufer
Keyword(s):  
Insecticidal Activity ◽  
Methyl Benzoate ◽  
Cimex Lectularius ◽  
Behavioral Activity ◽  
Agricultural Pests ◽  
Bed Bugs ◽  
Bed Bug ◽  
Control Product ◽  
The Common ◽  
Behavioral Action

Abstract We evaluated a botanical compound, methyl benzoate, which was previously shown to have insecticidal activity on several agricultural pests, for its behavioral action on the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. Methyl benzoate, along with acetophenone and Cirkil™, a commercially available bed bug control product, exhibited repellent action against bed bugs in an EthoVision video system designed to track the movement of individuals.

Repellency of Novel Catnip Oils Against the Bed Bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xianhui Shi ◽  
Changlu Wang ◽  
James E Simon ◽  
William Reichert ◽  
Qingli Wu
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cimex Lectularius ◽  
Bed Bugs ◽  
Bed Bug ◽  
Urban Pest ◽  
The Common

Abstract The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., resurged as an important urban pest in the last 20 yr. Yet, there are no commercial repellent products labeled for bed bugs available in the United States. We evaluated the repellency of two catnip oils from newly developed cultivars, CR3 and CR9, and compared each to 10 and 25% N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET). CR3 contains 63.4% E,Z-nepatalactone and 27.5% Z,E-nepatalactone, and CR9 contains 94.9% Z,E-nepatalactone. Arena studies showed that CR3 and CR9 oils were more effective than DEET within a 24-h period. At 10% concentration, both CR3 and CR9 oils exhibited a repellency of over 94% during the first 8 h. At 25% concentration, the repellency of CR3 and CR9 oils increased to 100%, and repellency of DEET was 92% during the first 24 h. Repellency of 25% CR3 and CR9 oils became lower than 25% DEET after being aged for 3 d. After 28-d aging, repellency of 25% CR3, CR9, and DEET reduced to 25, 64, and 92%, respectively. Soiled socks were placed above repellent treated bands to determine if the repellent can protect soiled socks from being infested. The 20% CR3 oil prevented 100% of bed bugs from infesting soiled socks showing that it was more effective than DEET. These results indicate that catnip oils from CR3 and CR9 cultivars are more repellent than DEET over a 24-h period following application, but their longevity is shorter than DEET after 72 h.

Cimex lectularius L., the common bed bug from Pharaonic Egypt

Antiquity ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (282) ◽  
pp. 908-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Panagiotakopulu ◽  
Paul C. Buckland
Keyword(s):  
Cimex Lectularius ◽  
Bed Bugs ◽  
Bed Bug ◽  
The Common

Bed bugs have been troubling humans for at least 3550 years, as shown by examples from Tell el-Amarna. Here we report on the bug's habits and history, as revealed by archaeology.

scholarly journals The Role of Antennae in Heat Detection and Feeding Behavior in the Bed Bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae)

2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (6) ◽  
pp. 2858-2863
Author(s):  
Sudip Gaire ◽  
Coby Schal ◽  
Russell Mick ◽  
Zachary DeVries
Keyword(s):  
Heat Source ◽  
Antennal Segment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Radiant Heat ◽  
Bed Bugs ◽  
Host Attraction ◽  
Bed Bug ◽  
The Common ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius L.) is an obligate hematophagous ectoparasite that has significant impacts on human health and well-being. All life stages of bed bugs (except eggs) feed solely on blood, which is required to molt and reproduce. Bed bugs use multiple cues to locate their hosts, including heat, CO2, and body odors. Of these cues, detection of heat appears limited to a short distance of <3 cm. However, it remains unclear if bed bugs can detect radiant heat, what structure(s) are responsible for heat detection, and if heat detection via the antennae is required for feeding. In this study, bed bug response to radiant heat was evaluated using the two-choice T-maze assay with the heat source either in contact with the surface (i.e., conduction) or not in contact (i.e., radiation) in nonantennectomized bed bugs. Further, we systematically ablated the bed bug’s antennal segments (distal tip, first segment, and all four segments) and assessed their responses to heat and feeding in a unique two-choice T-maze assay and individual feeding assays, respectively. Our two-choice assays with contact to or no contact with the surface indicated that bed bugs cannot detect radiant heat. Later, we found that the distal tip of the terminal antennal segment is responsible for orientation toward a heat source. However, >50% of the bed bugs fed even when the entire antenna was removed, suggesting redundancy in sensory cues that drive feeding. These results will be used to better understand the role heat plays in bed bug host attraction and design of traps.

scholarly journals A bioassay for studying behavioural responses of the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) to bed bug-derived volatiles

2010 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.N.I. Weeks ◽  
J.G. Logan ◽  
S.A. Gezan ◽  
C.M. Woodcock ◽  
M.A. Birkett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Current Control ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Cimex Lectularius ◽  
Monitoring And Control ◽  
Bed Bugs ◽  
Volatile Chemicals ◽  
Bed Bug ◽  
Behavioural Responses ◽  
Olfactory Responses ◽  
The Common

AbstractThe common bed bug, Cimex lectularius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), has recently re-emerged in increasing numbers, distribution and intensity of infestation in many countries. Current control relies on the application of residual pesticides; but, due to the development of insecticide resistance, there is a need for new tools and techniques. Semiochemicals (behaviour and physiology modifying chemicals) could be exploited for management of bed bugs. However, in order to identify semiochemicals that can be utilised in monitoring or control, a suitable olfactometer is needed that enables the study of the responses of bed bugs to volatile chemicals. Previous studies have used olfactometers that do not separate olfactory responses from responses to physical contact. In this study, a still-air olfactometer was used to measure behavioural responses to different bed bug-derived volatiles presented in an odour pot. Bed bugs were significantly more likely to visit the area above the odour pot first, and more frequently, in the presence of volatiles from bed bug-exposed paper but not in the presence of volatiles from conspecific bed bugs. Bed bug activity was found to be dependent on the presence of the volatiles from bed bug-exposed paper, the time during the scotophase and the sex of the insect being tested. The still-air olfactometer could be used to test putative semiochemicals, which would allow an understanding of their behavioural role in bed bug ecology. Ultimately, this could lead to the identification of new semiochemical tools for bed bug monitoring and control.

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