Semiochemicals modulating bed bug behaviour

Abstract

The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius (Cimicidae, Hemiptera), is obligate haematophagous and can carry pathogens but is not known to transmit diseases to humans in natural settings. Bed bugs are activated and guided by semiochemicals and heat by potential hosts, as well as by an aggregation pheromone when searching for food and home. No sexual pheromone has been detected in bed bugs, which mate through traumatic insemination. First, after mounting, males are able to distinguish between large nymphs, other males, and females. To avoid unwanted traumatic inseminations, nymphs and adults emit an alarm pheromone. The olfactory system of bed bugs has relatively few odorant and ionotropic receptors, which likely reflects the simple environment that bed bugs live in, and use to search for hosts and conspecifics.

Published in

Current Opinion in Insect Science
2024, volume: 64, article number: 101207
Publisher: ELSEVIER

SLU Authors

• Ignell, Rickard

  • Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Zoology

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2024.101207

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/131151