Traumatic-insemination
Guides
Cimex lectularius
common bed bug, bed bug
Cimex lectularius is a hematophagous ectoparasite in the family Cimicidae, primarily associated with human dwellings. The species has undergone a global resurgence since the late 1990s following decades of suppression by DDT and other insecticides. Populations show documented resistance to multiple insecticide classes including pyrethroids and pyrroles. The species comprises at least two host-associated lineages: one feeding on humans and another on bats.
Cimicidae
bed bugs, cimicids
Cimicidae is a family of small, wingless, blood-feeding parasitic insects comprising over 100 species. Members are obligate hematophages of warm-blooded vertebrates, primarily bats, birds, and humans. The family is notable for traumatic insemination, a unique reproductive strategy where males pierce the female abdominal wall to deposit sperm. Cimicids harbor bacterial symbionts in specialized mycetome organs that may assist with nutrient acquisition. The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) is the most widely known member and a significant urban pest.
Lyctocoridae
Lyctocorid Pirate Bugs
Lyctocoridae is a family of predatory true bugs in the infraorder Cimicomorpha, reconstituted from Anthocoridae based on phylogenetic evidence. Members range from 2–6 mm and exhibit distinctive asymmetrical male genitalia. The family includes the cosmopolitan species Lyctocoris campestris, known for occasional blood-feeding, and the Japanese endemic L. ichikawai, which uniquely feeds on oak sap. They occupy diverse microhabitats including tree bark, decaying matter, and stored food products.
Strepsiptera
Twisted-wing Insects, Twisted-wing Parasites, Stylops
Strepsiptera is an order of obligate endoparasitic insects comprising approximately 600 described species across 11 extant families. The group exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism: males are free-living, short-lived adults with reduced forewings modified into halteres and large fan-shaped hindwings, while females are neotenic, larviform, and remain permanently within their insect hosts. All strepsipterans are parasites of other insects, with documented hosts spanning seven orders including Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Orthoptera, Blattodea, Mantodea, Zygentoma, and Diptera. The order is believed to be most closely related to Coleoptera, forming the clade Coleopterida.
Stylopidae
Stylopidae is a family of obligate parasitic insects in the order Strepsiptera, comprising approximately 15 genera and over 330 described species. All members are endoparasites of bees (Hymenoptera), with infected hosts referred to as "stylopized." Females are neotenic, remaining within the host body throughout their adult life, while males are free-living with reduced morphology. The family exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism and a unique reproductive strategy involving traumatic insemination via a paragenital organ.
Xylocoris flavipes
Warehouse Pirate Bug
Xylocoris flavipes, commonly known as the warehouse pirate bug, is a predatory anthocorid bug widely distributed across Africa, Australia, Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China), North America, South America, and Southern Asia. It is a specialized predator of stored-product insect pests and has been extensively studied as a biological control agent in grain storage systems. The species exhibits traumatic insemination, where males pierce the female abdomen during copulation. Both nymphs and adults are predatory, with documented cannibalistic behavior under laboratory conditions.