Cimex lectularius,
commonly known as the bed bug, is a flea-like true bug that dines on the
blood of its hosts (that would be you and me). In
prehistoric times, bed bugs absolutely loved our warm caves, and now they love
our warm houses and
especially our beds and bedding.
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| I was relieved to know they are only about the size of an apple seed or grain of rice… if they were much larger, they’d be as terrifying as Godzilla. |
As a logophiliac, I find
the etymology of the bed bug fascinating. In Medieval Europe, the word bug or bugge originally referred exclusively to bed bug. (In present day, we call many
things bugs: it’s the informal
moniker not just for other insects, but for microscopic germs, or diseases
caused by the germs.) Depending on where you come from, a bed bug could
have other names: wall louse, mahogany flat, crimson rambler, chilly billies,
heavy dragoon, chinche bug, or redcoat.
No matter what it’s called, this true bug is also a true parasite. That means they
are pretty much good for nothing.
Some entomologists say
that if an insect is a parasite found exclusively in human dwellings (and not
in nature), killing it off will not upset the balance of the ecosystem.
Hmmmm.
Sources
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