ArticleParasites & vectors2019
Age structure of bed bug (Heteroptera: Cimicidae) aggregations affects the nymphal feeding success.
Article in Parasites & vectors, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Bed bug preferences for host odor or aggregation odor are differentially modulated by physiological state in various odorscapes.Pest management science · 2026Article
- First instar and adult male bed bugs, Cimex lectularius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), increase feeding activity in the presence of adult females.Parasites & vectors · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundBed bugs (Heteroptera: Cimicidae) are a group of blood-feeding ectoparasites. They mainly specialize on bats and birds, but a few species are important human pests. They exhibit several unique adaptations for their parasitic lifestyle. Among those, bed bug aggregations represent a striking example of a sub-social structure. However, their benefits for the bed bugs as well as their potential for bed bug control are largely unexplored. Young nymphs are known to disperse from the aggregations much less than older ones or adults. We therefore found possible that the aggregation age structure is connected with success in finding host and tested the effect of presence of adults on nymphal feeding success.
resultsWe tested the effect of presence of adults on feeding success of first-instar nymphs using an artificial feeding system. We found that presence of fed adults causes larger proportion of nymphs to feed.
conclusionsBased on our data, fed bed bugs seem to trigger the young nymphs to actively forage. Since the first instar is much less viable than later stages, our finding points to an adaptive behavior that economizes on foraging energy cost. In the context of bed bug control, knowledge on such behavior emphasizes the prevention of fed bed bugs from returning to harborages. Bed bug traps may thus be used not just as means of bed bug monitoring, but also as means of control.
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