title: A review of data on laboratory colonies of bed bugs (Cimicidae), an insect of emerging medical relevance.
abstract: Cimicidae are hematophagous Heteroptera, feeding on human blood, that have been the subject of significant medical investigation. In particular, they have been colonized under laboratory conditions to study their medical relevance. Laboratory colonization of these bugs is a multifactorial phenomenon. Our goal was to conduct a comparative literature review to classify the published data, demonstrating preferred bed bug colony conditions. We show that physical factors including temperature, relative humidity and photoperiod, and physiological factors such as type and frequency of blood meals play important roles in laboratory colonies. Any change in these factors produces changes in life-cycle duration. Temperature and blood meal are the most important factors, with a marked impact on the life-cycle of laboratory populations, depending on the species. A wide range of temperatures (15-34 °C) and relative humidity (46-75%) with an average of 25 °C and 59% were found for these colonies. Two widely used blood sources for the colonies were rabbits and humans.
authors.affiliation: Inserm U1065, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, C3 M, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, 151, Route St Antoine de Ginestière, BP 2 3194, 06204 Nice Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cannet
authors.affiliation: Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Hôpital de l'Archet, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, 06202 Nice, France.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akhoundi
authors.affiliation: URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, Faculté de Médecine, Université d'Aix-Marseille, 13385 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Berenger
authors.affiliation: Inserm U1065, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, C3 M, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, 151, Route St Antoine de Ginestière, BP 2 3194, 06204 Nice Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.affiliation: Inserm U1065, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, C3 M, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, 151, Route St Antoine de Ginestière, BP 2 3194, 06204 Nice Cedex, France - Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Hôpital de l'Archet, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, 06202 Nice, France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marty
authors.affiliation: Inserm U1065, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, C3 M, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, 151, Route St Antoine de Ginestière, BP 2 3194, 06204 Nice Cedex, France - Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Hôpital de l'Archet, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, 06202 Nice, France.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Delaunay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory / Q000502:physiology*; D001511:Bedbugs / Q000502:physiology*; D004463:Ecology; D004772:Entomology / Q000379:methods*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006799:Housing, Animal; D006813:Humidity; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D017440:Photoperiod; D013696:Temperature