Although we are relatively naked in comparison with other primates, the human body is covered in a layer of fine hair (vellus and terminal hair) at a relatively high follicular density. There are relatively few explanations for the evolutionary maintenance of this type of human hair. Here, we experimentally test the hypothesis that human fine body hair plays a defensive function against ectopar...

During wounding, tissues are disrupted so that bacteria can easily enter the host and trigger a host response. Both the host response and bacterial communication can occur through quorum sensing (QS) and quorum sensing inhibition (QSI). Here, we characterize the effect of wounding on the host-associated bacterial community of the bed bug. This is a model system where the male is wounding the fe...

eggs (Webster, 1934). The results of that investigation showed that much reduced pressures were insufficient to destroy the eggs. The question is one of great importance to administrations involved in the carrying of passengers in vehicles; it is of particular importance to railway authorities in India, where constant reinfestation of passenger vehicles takes place and where conditions are emin...

Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, 2012 Trichlorfon (CAS 52-68-6) is an organophosphate insecticide used to control pests such as cockroaches, crickets, silverfish, bedbugs, fleas, cattle grubs, flies, ticks, leafminers and leaf-hoppers (EXTOXNET, 1996). Trichlorfon is manufactured by Bayer CropScience Inc. and is produced in soluble powder, granular, emulsifiable concentrate, an...

Males of the bedbug, Cimex lectularius, traumatically inseminate females by inserting a needle-like intromittent organ (penis) through the female's abdominal wall after she has fed. We demonstrate that: (i) mating duration determines ejaculate size; (ii) a female's first copulation in a bout of copulations always lasts longer than subsequent copulations; (iii) the intromittent organ bears sensi...