HEMIPTERA 



381 



size, and some are gayly colored. They are predacious, living on the 

 blood of insects. In some cases they attack the higher animals; and, 

 occasionally, even man suffers from them. 



Fig. 438. — Arilus cristatiis. (From Glover.) 



In this family the beak is short, three-jointed, attached to the 

 tip of the head, and with the distal end, when not in use, resting upon 

 the prostemum, which is grooved to receive it. Except in a few spe_ 

 cies, ocelli are present in the winged forms. The anten- 

 nae are' four-jointed. 



More than one hundred species occur in our fauna ; 

 these represent forty-four genera. The following species 

 will serve to illustrate the great diversity in form of 

 members of this family. 



The wheel-bug, Arilus cristdtus. — The wheel-bug is 

 so called on account of the cogwheel-like crest on the 

 prothorax (Fig. 438). It is a common insect south of 

 New York City, and is found as far west as Texas and 

 New Mexico. The adult, a cluster of eggs, and several 

 nymphs, are represented in the figure. The n5nmphs 

 when young are blood-red, with black marks. 



The masked bedbug-hunter, Reduvius persondtus. — The adult of 

 this species is represented by Figure 439; it measures from 15 to 20 

 mm. in length, and is black or very dark brown in colo^- 



Fig. 439-— Re- 

 duvius per- 

 sonatus. 



