Growth kinetics of endosymbiont Wolbachia in the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius

Human Odorant Reception in the Common Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius

The common bed bug Cimex lectularius is a temporary ectoparasite on humans and currently resurgent in many developed countries. The ability of bed bugs to detect human odorants in the environment is critical for their host-seeking behavior. This study deciphered the chemical basis of host detection by investigating the neuronal response of olfactory sensilla to 104 human odorants using single s...

Transcriptomics of the Bed Bug (Cimex lectularius)

BACKGROUND Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are blood-feeding insects poised to become one of the major pests in households throughout the United States. Resistance of C. lectularius to insecticides/pesticides is one factor thought to be involved in its sudden resurgence. Despite its high-impact status, scant knowledge exists at the genomic level for C. lectularius. Hence, we subjected the C. lectu...

Human Odorant Reception in the Common Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius Abbreviated title: Human Odorant Reception in the Common Bed Bug

Host-Seeking Behavior in the Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius

The reemergence of the bed bug, Cimex lectularius Linnaeus, has recently spawned a frenzy of public, media, and academic attention. In response to the growing rate of infestation, considerable work has been focused on identifying the various host cues utilized by the bed bug in search of a meal. Most of these behavioral studies examine movement within a confined environment, such as a Petri dis...

Juvenile hormone regulation of female reproduction in the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius

To begin studies on reproduction in common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, we identified three genes coding for vitellogenin (Vg, a protein required for the reproductive success of insects) and studied their hormonal regulation. RNA interference studied showed that expression of Vg3 gene in the adult females is a prerequisite for successful completion of embryogenesis in the eggs laid by them. Juve...