Resurgencia de la chinche de cama Cimex lectularius (Heteroptera: Cimicidae) en Argentina

CLAUDIA VASSENA

RSEA. Revista de la Sociedad Entomologica Argentina

Sociedad Entomologica Argentina

Año: 2016 vol. 75 p. 172 - 176

1851-7471

The bed bug, Cimex lectularius Linnaeus 1758, is a hemimetabolous insect from the family Cimicidae (Order Hemiptera). They are hematophagous ectoparasites of birds and mammals. Two species are predominant: C. lectularius Linnaeus 1758 and Cimex hemipterus Fabricius 1803. Before World War II, man lived with bedbugs, and it is speculated that about 30% of homes were infested with these insects. After World War II, the prevalence of infection declined. From the 50s on, cases began to decrease significantly due to the use of synthetic insecticides, especially dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). However, the situation seems to have changed and experts in the field talk about a "resurgence" of the plague worldwide. Scientific research and even newspapers? disclosures about bed bugs do nothing more than show that we are in the presence of a major health problem and we believe that our country is no stranger to it. The following study was conducted in order to determine whether bed bugs are present in Argentina. The discovery of urban pest in different cities of Argentina can now be confidently confirmed.