This highly-magnified, digitally-colorized scanning electron micrograph (SEM) revealed some of the ultrastructural morphology displayed on the rostral head region of a bedbug, Cimex lectularius. Note the proximal anatomical relationships the insect’s skin piercing mouthparts it uses to obtain its blood meal, and how they join the head.
This digitally-colorized scanning electron micrograph (SEM) revealed some of the ultrastructural morphology displayed on the ventral surface of a bedbug, Cimex lectularius. From this view, at the top, you can see the insect’s skin piercing mouthparts it uses to obtain its blood meal, as well as a number of its disarticulated six jointed legs. You’ll also notice a beautiful diaphanous structure at the bottom of the image. It is speculated that this wondrous ultrastructural organ is most probably a scent gland, or related to the dissemination of scent, which may be pheromonal in nature. A further dissection of this, and the adjacent mesothoracic region, could possibly reveal an internalized aspect of this organ, which would be glandular in nature, and actually involved in the production of the aromatic chemical.
This scanning electron micrograph (SEM) revealed some of the ultrastructural morphology displayed on the ventral surface of a bedbug, Cimex lectularius. From this view you can see the insect’s skin piercing mouthparts it uses to obtain its blood meal.
This scanning electron micrograph (SEM) revealed some of the ultrastructural morphology displayed on the head region of a bedbug, Cimex lectularius. In this particular view, what appeared to be “hairs” were not hairs at all, but sensory structures known as “setae”, which are composed of chitin, the same material as the rest of this organism’s exoskeleton.
Chitin is a molecule made up of bound units of acetylglucosamine, joined in such a way as to allow for increased points at which hydrogen bonding can occur. In this way chitin provides increased strength, and durability as an exoskeletal foundation.
This photograph depicts a dorsal view of a bedbug nymph, Cimex lectularius, as it was in the process of ingesting a blood meal from the arm of a “voluntary” human host, which could be seen filling the insect’s abdomen.
Bedbugs are not vectors in nature of any known human disease. Although some disease organisms have been recovered from bedbugs under laboratory conditions, none have been shown to be transmitted by bedbugs outside of the laboratory.
The common bedbug is found worldwide. Infestations are common in the developing world, occurring in settings of unsanitary living conditions and severe crowding. In North America and Western Europe, bedbug infestations became rare during the second half of the 20th century and have been viewed as a condition that occurs in travelers returning from developing countries. However, anecdotal reports suggest that bedbugs are increasingly common in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
This photograph depicts a lateral view of an adult bedbug, Cimex lectularius, as it is in the process of ingesting a blood meal from the arm of a “voluntary” human host.
Bedbugs are not vectors in nature of any known human disease. Although some disease organisms have been recovered from bedbugs under laboratory conditions, none have been shown to be transmitted by bedbugs outside of the laboratory. Bedbug bites are difficult to diagnose due to the variability in bite response between people, and due to the change in skin reaction for the same person over time. It is best to collect and identify bedbugs to confirm bites. Bedbugs are responsible for loss of sleep, discomfort, disfiguring from numerous bites and occasionally bites may become infected.
This photograph depicts a frontal view of an adult bedbug, Cimex lectularius, as it is in the process of ingesting a blood meal from the arm of a “voluntary” human host.
Bedbugs are not vectors in nature of any known human disease. Although some disease organisms have been recovered from bedbugs under laboratory conditions, none have been shown to be transmitted by bedbugs outside of the laboratory. Bedbug bites are difficult to diagnose due to the variability in bite response between people, and due to the change in skin reaction for the same person over time. It is best to collect and identify bedbugs to confirm bites. Bedbugs are responsible for loss of sleep, discomfort, disfiguring from numerous bites and occasionally bites may become infected.
This digitally-colorized scanning electron micrograph (SEM) revealed some of the ultrastructural morphology displayed on the head region of a bedbug, Cimex lectularius. Of interest is one of the insect’s compound eyes.
The compound eye is given this name due to the fact that the single large eye is really made up of many repeating units known as ”ommatidia”. Each ommatidium is composed of separate units made up of a photoreceptor cell, support cell, and pigment cells. Though each of these visual mechanisms functions as a separate organ, together they provide the organism with a ”compound” picture of its environment. Due to what is referred to as the ”flicker effect”, the compound eye is made very sensitive to movement, with each ommatidium turning on and off, as objects pass across its field of view. The bilateral anatomical placement of the insect’s eyes provides the organism with a very wide range of visual sensitivity.
This 1976 photograph showed a public health professional consulting with an elderly woman during the swine flu nationwide vaccination campaign, which was instituted in October, 1976, due to an outbreak at Fort Dix, New Jersey.
Depicted in this 2006 image, this man was receiving an intramuscular immunization in his left shoulder muscle. He was facilitating the procedure by lifting up his sleeve, while the nurse admistered the vaccine. With her free hand, the nurse stabilized the injection site.