Poster: Population genetic structure and genetic diversity of a major urban pest, the Common bed bug, within and among infestations across the United States

The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, is a significant indoor urban pest of medical and economic concern. In recent decades a remarkable resurgence has been observed, likely resulting from increased national and international travel, the exchange of second-hand furniture, the failure to detect infestations early, and the evolution and widespread distribution of insecticide resistance. Bed bug infestations may be founded by a single gravid female whose progeny then undergo repeated rounds of inbreeding and have the potential to disperse actively within contiguous structures; the ability for infestations to persist despite high levels of inbreeding undoubtedly contributes to their persistence globally. Dispersal outside of single structures is human-mediated. Previous molecular studies have shown that bed bugs exhibit low levels of genetic diversity within and high levels of genetic differentiation among infestations. However, these studies have focused on few sampled infestations with restricted regional distributions. As such, how bed bug infestations are structured nationally within the U.S. is currently unknown. In an effort to fill this knowledge gap, we use a genome-wide approach to investigate patterns of genetic structure and diversity hierarchically, comparing infestations from within cities, within states, and on a national scale.