A genetic blueprint of the bedbug could expose chinks in the armour of the unsocial insect which is becoming an increasing menace around the world, say scientists. The completed genome sequence of Cimex lectularius has revealed some of the multiple ways bedbugs have evolved to resist insecticides. Their armour-like outer cuticle has barriers and detoxification genes that keep out the chemicals, the research shows. In addition, many bedbugs have made it harder for insecticides to target their nervous systems through sodium channel "gates". The bugs may also render ingested pesticides harmless using the same system they use to detoxify blood, the study suggests. DNA analysis indicates high levels of interbreeding among the bugs, which would make it easier for genetic resistance to pesticides to spread across populations. Bedbugs have plagued humans for at least 3,000 years, but widespread use of insecticides in homes curbed their numbers dramatically after the Second World War. In the last two decades, the bedbug has staged a spectacular comeback, rising from near-eradication levels in many regions to become established in every continent except Antarctica. In Australia alone,...
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