{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "bed-bug",
  "name": "Bed Bug",
  "scientificName": "Cimex lectularius",
  "category": "Insect",
  "summary": "The common bed bug is a small flat insect that feeds exclusively on blood, mainly from humans at night while they sleep. Roughly 5 mm long and reddish-brown, it hides in mattress seams and furniture, resists many pesticides, and has resurged globally in hotels and homes — listed Not Evaluated by IUCN.",
  "conservationStatus": "Not Evaluated",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Arthropoda",
    "class": "Insecta",
    "order": "Hemiptera",
    "family": "Cimicidae",
    "genus": "Cimex"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.000006,
    "lengthM": 0.005,
    "topSpeedKmh": 0.06,
    "lifespanYears": 1
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Cimex lectularius"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Blood — primarily human; also bats and birds in wild settings"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Human dwellings, hotels, dormitories, and bedding worldwide"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "6–12 months; can survive months without feeding"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "5–7 mg (0.000005–0.000007 kg) when unfed"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Crawls ~1 m per minute; does not fly or jump"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Not Evaluated (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Cosmopolitan human commensal found wherever people sleep — hotels, homes, and dormitories worldwide; likely originated as bat parasites in caves.",
    "continents": [
      "Africa",
      "Asia",
      "Europe",
      "North America",
      "Oceania",
      "South America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Cimex lectularius.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Cimex%20lectularius&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Cimex lectularius. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Cimex_lectularius/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Bed Bug.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bed_bug"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/bed-bug/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/bed-bug/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}