Exploring components of subsocial behavior in the bed bug

Bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), form aggregations with conspecifics of all life stages. It is known that aggregation behavior in the bed bug is influenced by a number of variables including temperature, humidity, population composition, population density, and proximity to a suitable host. Ecological and biological factors predicting the expression of aggregation behavior are similar across a wide range of taxa. In other arthropods, parental care and subsocial behaviors have evolved in species that aggregate. The most common parental care behaviors exhibited by these species include protection of offspring from predators, and facilitation of offspring feeding. It is unknown whether bed bugs exhibit similar subsocial behaviors. In this study, we tested whether adult bed bugs protected offspring from predation, or facilitated increased success of host-finding and blood meal acquisition. First instar nymphs were placed either in the presence of a predator or an artificial feeder, with or without parents present. Success of juveniles in each treatment was evaluated by the percentage of surviving nymphs, or the frequency of successful feeding events, respectively.