Bed bug. Darkfield and fluorescence light micrograph of a bed bug (Cimex lectularius) with its piercing and sucking mouthparts. Bedbugs grasp human skin with their forelegs, pierce the skin, and inject anticoagulant and an anaesthetic containing saliva. They feed at night. The female lays approximately 300 eggs. They don't transmit diseases but can cause skin infections from scratching bites. Magnification: x2 when printed at 10 centimetres wide.