Knowledgebase
Is this insect a bed bug or a book louse? #211225
Asked September 07, 2014, 7:29 PM EDT
Attached find three insect images: "Bug-1" is my photo of an unidentified nymph (1-mm long) found on one of the seven glue traps I had deployed throughout the bed area of my small RV out here in Santa Clara County, Calif., for seven months. During these seven months, those seven traps captured just this one bed bug-like nymph, plus a few thrips, black flies, and one tiny moth. No ants, no bees, no roaches, no spiders, no mosquitoes at all.
The attached "Bug-2" and "Bug-3" images were downloaded from a bed bug website and are included for quick reference.
BOTTOM LINE: Is my "Bug-1" image a "second stage bed bug nymph"? Or is it simply a harmless book louse nymph? Mind you, during the past several years I have indeed trapped a number of (more obvious) book louse nymphs on my RV traps. Said nymphs were positively identified as book lice by online university entomologists.
Lastly, please note that regarding this issue I have NOT been experiencing any of the usual bed bug bite symptoms. However, I am a senior and, as such, my immune system may not be responding to such bites.
Santa Clara County California
Expert Response
Your images are not labeled in my view, so I'm not sure which is which. I can tell you, however, that two of the images (those with scale bars present, the two on the left in my view) are definitely of psocid booklice. The third image, of a darker insect with a pointed head, appears to depict a nymph of some true bug species (Hemiptera: the order within which bed bugs are found); it may be a bed bug nymph. Several other bug nymphs can look similar, especially when trapping in an RV or other environment easily invaded by outdoor species. The look-alikes may be predators of other insects and mites or plant feeders. To determine the identity of your specimens with surety, please visit or contact your county's UCCE Master Gardener Help Desk:
http://www.mastergardeners.org/scc.html
You may also learn about bed bugs and see great photos on this webpage provided by the UC Integrated Pest Management (UC IPM) Program:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7454.html
Thank you kindly,
