Name: Bed Bug Sex
Uploaded: undefined
Duration: undefined

Gross Science

Gross Science: How bed bugs reproduce is the stuff of nightmares.

Bed Bug Sex

Koch Foundation

NOVA Science Trust Logo

There is nothing romantic about how bed bugs mate. In this video short, learn how these insects reproduce, and discover how female bed bugs have evolved to cope with an, er, irregular form of insemination.

Gross Science: How bed bugs reproduce is the stuff of nightmares.

Nature

Bed Bug SexPosted: April 11, 2013For many of us, bed bugs basically define the word gross. After all, what could be more repulsive than an animal that sucks your blood while you sleep? Well, let me tell you a story that is sure to exceed even your worst nightmares. It’s the story of bed bug sex.You see, male bed bugs have saber-like penises. When a male is ready to mate, he mounts any other bed bug that has just fed and is bloated with blood. If he finds a female, he takes his penis and stabs her in the abdomen, releasing sperm directly into her circulatory system. (In fact, on rare occasions he might even stab and inseminate another male if he’s accidentally mounted one.) He wounds the female, but she does have an immune organ, called the spermalege, which protects her from infection. For the record, females actually have fully functional reproductive tracts, but they use them exclusively for egg laying.So just think—while you’re sleeping tight, dozens of bed bugs could not only be feeding on your blood, they could also be doing this:[HARLEM SHAKE]Goodnight bed bugs.

Canada

United States

Northern Mariana Islands

Puerto Rico

American Samoa

Guam

U.S. Virgin Islands

U.S. Minor Outlying Islands

US, US Territories, Canada

US & Territories

NOVA investigates the story of cannabis from the criminalization that has disproportionately harmed communities of color to the latest medical understanding of the plant. What risks does cannabis pose to the developing brain? How much do we know about its potential medical benefits? As cannabis becomes socially accepted, scientists are exploring its long-term health consequences. (Premiered September 29, 2021)Check out a previously recorded panel discussion and audience Q&amp;A featuring experts and producers from "The Cannabis Question" <a href="https://youtu.be/nSTT5RZ_hxA">here</a>.

As state-legalized cannabis spreads, NOVA explores its little-known risks and benefits.

The Cannabis Question

A 2006 composite image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Telescope shows the chaos of baby stars in the Orion nebula some 1,500 light-years away. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/STScI

With the upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the Hubble era is gradually drawing to a close. Here are some highlights from the countless wonders Hubble has shown us during its 31 years in space.

10 spectacular Hubble Space Telescope images

A statue of Zheng He at the Sam Poo Kong Temple in Java, Indonesia. Image Credit: Budianto Santosa, Shutterstock

In the 1400s, Zheng He sailed thousands of miles around Asia and Africa in ships the size of soccer fields, spreading Chinese innovations like compasses and gunpowder in the process.

Transcript

Credits

Support Provided By