A genus of insects commonly known as bed bugs, small parasitic arthropods that feed on the blood of mammals and birds.
From Latin cimex, meaning bug or louse, this scientific genus name entered modern biology in the 18th century. The Latin root is ancient, possibly related to Greek κίμη (kimē), referring to any small creeping insect.
Carl Linnaeus formally named this genus in 1758, but humans have been complaining about bed bugs since ancient Egyptian times—they're even mentioned in the Bible! The species Cimex lectularius is literally called the 'bed bug' because it loves furniture.
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