32 
Poisonous Arthropods 
for its point of attack on man. So widespread were the stories 
regarding this supposedly new insect that station entomologists all 
over the country began to receive sus¬ 
pected specimens for identification. At 
Cornell there were received, among 
others, specimens of stone-flies, may¬ 
flies and even small moths, with in¬ 
quiries as to whether they were “kiss- 
ing-bugs.” 
Dr. L. 0 . Howard has shown that the 
scare had its origin in newspaper reports 
of some instances of bites by either 
Melanolestes picipes (fig. 19a) or Opsi- 
coetes personatus (fig. 20), in the vicinity 
of Washington, D. C. He then discusses 
in considerable detail the more promi- 
22 ' 1 Howa U rd blguttatus ’ (x2) ' Aftcr nen ^ the Reduviidse which, with 
greater or less frequency pierce the skin 
of human beings. These are Opsicoetes personatus, Melanolestes 
picipes, Coriscus suhcoleoptratus (fig. i9g), Rasahus tlioracicus. 
Rasahus biguttatus (fig. 22), Conorhinus sanguisugus (fig. 71), and C. 
abdominalis (fig. 23). 
One of the most interesting of these species is Reduvius personatus, 
(= Opsiccetus personatus) , which is popularly known as the ‘ ‘ masked 
bed-bug hunter.” It owes this 
name to the fact that the imma¬ 
ture nymphs (fig. 21) have their 
bodies and legs completely covered 
by dust and lint, and that they 
are supposed to prey upon bed¬ 
bugs. LeConte is quoted by How¬ 
ard as stating that * * This species is 
remarkable for the intense pain 
caused by its bite. I do not know 
whether it ever willingly plunges 
its rostrum into any person, but 
when caught, or unskilfully handled 
it always stings. In this case the 
pain is almost equal to the bite of a snake, and the swelling and 
irritation which result from it will sometimes last for a week.” 
