Bat bug

Bat bug
Bat bug
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Family: Cimicidae
Kirkaldy, 1909
Genera & Species

Genus Cimex

  • Cimex lectularius
  • Cimex hemipterus (C. rotundatus)
  • Cimex pilosellus
  • Cimex pipistrella

Genus Leptocimex

  • Leptocimex boueti

Genus Haematosiphon

  • Haematosiphon inodora

Genus Oeciacus

  • Oeciacus hirudinis
  • Oeciacus vicarius

Bat bugs (Cimex pilosellus) are blood-sucking insects of the family Cimicidae that are closely related to the bed bug. They are so-named because they feed primarily on the blood of bats, although they will bite humans if necessary. Bat bugs are so similar to bed bugs that they are often mistaken; microscopic examination is needed to distinguish them.[1]

Bat bugs are moderately common in the midwest US, and are found in houses and buildings that harbor bats.

Bat bugs feed on blood from bats, but when they wander away from the bat roost area, they will feed on other warm-blooded animals, including people. This feeding is an annoyance but is not dangerous. Bat bugs have not been found to transmit any diseases.

Bat bugs are also known for their unique form of reproduction. Males inseminate the female by piercing the female's abdomen and depositing sperm directly into her bloodstream. In response to this traumatic insemination, female bat bugs have evolved a spermalege, a paragenital structure on their abdomen that limits the damage by guiding the male's sharp penile prong into a spongy area full of immune cells.[2]

Controlling bat bugs requires the elimination of any bats that are present in the home or building. This is accomplished by exclusion techniques also known as "building them out" (i.e., sealing entrance cracks and holes). Residual sprays such as deltamethrin sprayed into all cracks and crevices, especially light fixtures and window casings, may help to control the bugs.

References

  1. ^ Jones, Susan C.; Kyle K. Jordan. "Bat Bugs". Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet. Ohio State University. http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2105a.html. Retrieved 2007-09-22. 
  2. ^ "Gender-bending bugs take battle of sexes to new heights". AFP (via Yahoo! News). 19 September 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-10-11. http://web.archive.org/web/20071011141530/http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070919/sc_afp/scienceinsectssexoffbeat. Retrieved 2007-09-22. 

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • bat bug — ▪ insect       any of about 20 species of bloodsucking insects (order Heteroptera) that are external parasites found mainly in the fur of tropical bats. The adult (between 3.5 and 5 mm [0.14 and 0.2 inch] long) lacks eyes and wings. Its forelegs… …   Universalium

  • bat bug — noun Etymology: bat (III) : any of a family (Polyctenidae) of small flattened elongated hairy bugs related to the bedbug that are ectoparasites of bats …   Useful english dictionary

  • Bat Boy — is a fictional creature who made several appearances in the defunct supermarket tabloid Weekly World News . The Weekly World News published patently fabricated stories which were purported to be factual. Within the pages of the paper, Bat Boy is… …   Wikipedia

  • Bug-a-Booo — is a set of fictional Brazilian characters featured at the Monica s Gang comic strips. The main location for their stories is a cemetery. All of the characters are monsters or other supernatural creatures, none of them being a human being.… …   Wikipedia

  • Bat — For other uses, see Bat (disambiguation). Bats Temporal range: 52–0 Ma …   Wikipedia

  • Bug Holliday — Infobox MLB retired name=Bug Holliday position=Center fielder bgcolor1=black bgcolor2=#c6011f textcolor1=white textcolor2=white bats=Right throws=Right birthdate= February 8 1867 city state|St. Louis|Missouri deathdate= death date and… …   Wikipedia

  • BAT F.K.26 — Vorlage:Infobox Flugzeug/Wartung/Parameter Bild fehlt B.A.T. F.K.26 Commercial Typ: Verkehrsflugzeug Entwurfsland …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Ambush Bug — For the insect, see Phymatinae. Ambush Bug Ambush Bug on the cover of Action Comics #565, along with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman (known as the Big Three of DC Comics) …   Wikipedia

  • Bed bug — Cimex lectularius Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia …   Wikipedia

  • Harlequin cabbage bug — Harlequin Har le*quin (h[aum]r l[ e]*k[i^]n or kw[i^]n), n. [F. arlequin, formerly written also harlequin (cf. It, arlecchino), prob. fr. OF. hierlekin, hellequin, goblin, elf, which is prob. of German or Dutch origin; cf. D. hel hell. Cf. {Hell} …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”