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Bedbugs mate in an unusual way: the male stabs the female’s body directly with a needle-like organ to inject sperm. The female has no say in this. To survive being stabbed and to fight off bacteria that get in through the wound, females evolved a special body part that helps them heal and defend themselves. But males found a way around this too: their sperm fluid contains substances that weaken the female’s immune system, making it easier for the sperm to survive but also making the female more vulnerable to infection. Interestingly, this weakening effect is stronger when the sperm comes from a male of a different population, suggesting males and females from the same group have evolved to be closely matched to one another.

Mejon has worked on specificity of phagocytosis in bed bugs. | Foto: A.Abraham

More info on Mejon’s master: Link

More info on the bedbug lab in Dresden: Link