A Halloween Devil Bed Bug
A housekeeper of a high end hotel in Mexico City, (identities withheld for privacy) discovered the unusual specimen in the bed of a recently vacated room. This bed bug is 12 times the normal size, making it 7.62 cm/3 inches long. An average unfed bed bug is 4 to 6 mm in length.
Eduardo Guitarrez, Senior Entomologist at La Salle, stated,
“It’s either a rare genetic mutation, an entirely new species of bed bug, or the common bed bug is evolving into something rather sinister.”
Eduardo further elaborated:
“What’s unusual is that no other bed bugs, normalized or otherwise, were found in the bed. Perhaps our elongated specimen practices cannibalism.”
Now that is a good thought, if not an effective control measure, the idea of bed bugs consuming each other is somehow satisfying.
So where did this super bed bug come from? At the hotel, the general belief is the pest hitched a ride on the luggage of the latest occupant of the hotel room – and that particular person, it is rumoured, is Canadian. Could we be breeding mutant bed bugs? Eduardo believes it is possible, but it is too early in the investigation to confirm.
“We will continue to study our most unusual visitor, and hopefully come to some conclusions. It’s a nightmare for sleepers, but it is kind of an entomologist’s dream to discover a new species!”
states Eduardo, with a bit too much enthusiasm in my humble opinion.
So what would be the name of such a new species? Why, El Diablo Chinches, of course – A Devil Bed Bug; perfect to put you in the Halloween mood. You can rest easy tonight though – this story is 100% fiction thank heavens.
