The Journal of Economic Entomology invites you to contribute to a special issue titled, "Perspectives on Biology and Management of Bed Bugs." We welcome original research and review papers on the biology and management of Cimex lectularius and C. hemipterus from all continents. The deadline for submission of the manuscripts to be considered for inclusion in this special issue is January 15, 2022. Page charges will be waived for all accepted papers in this special issue, and papers will be made free to read and download. Accepted papers will be published online first as advance articles.
Feature editors: Chow-Yang Lee, Changlu Wang, Nan-Yao Su
Background
The global resurgence of bed bugs has been a significant challenge to the pest management industry and a public health concern in the urban environment over the last two decades. Bed bug infestations are no longer associated with homes, hotels, and motels – these days, their infestations are found in shops, retail outlets, commercial buildings, offices, libraries, and transportation systems such as trains, buses, airplanes, ships, etc. Many people who are bitten by bed bugs experience skin irritation and allergic reactions, including itchiness, erythematous rash, or urticaria. Besides, scratching may lead to secondary bacterial infections such as cellulitis, impetigo, and ecthyma.
In the United States alone, the financial impact of bed bug management is a staggering US$1 billion per year. The bed bug problems are associated with two major species, the common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) and the tropical bed bug (Cimex hemipterus). Cimex lectularius is most prevalent in temperate regions, whereas C. hemipterus is found mainly in tropical and subtropical areas. The resurgence of bed bugs is due to several reasons, including globalization and the ease of people moving around, changing pest management strategy from residual sprays to more target-specific treatment, and insecticide resistance. The latter has been primarily incriminated as the main reason for the resurgence.
Over the past ten years, there has been a marked increase in research interests on bed bug biology and management. The availability of various modern techniques has allowed us to advance our knowledge on this cryptic species, particularly on insecticide resistance mechanisms, population genetics, microbiome, chemical ecology, and potential new control technology such as RNAi. In addition, there are also significant interests in novel treatment strategies such as the use of botanical insecticides, fungal agents, bed bug bait, non-chemical approaches such as heat and cold treatment, fumigants, and nanomaterials based on conventional wisdom, and the impact of climate change on bed bug infestations.
How to Participate
- Email us to let us know you'll be submitting. We can then flag your paper when you submit. Please copy the following people on your email:
- Changlu Wang: changluw@rutgers.edu
- Chow-Yang Lee: chowyang.lee@ucr.edu
- Nan-Yao Su: nysu@ufl.edu
- ESA staff: pubs@entsoc.org
- Submit your article to the Journal of Economic Entomology any time between now and January 15, 2022. Click here to submit your article.