554 



FAMILY XIX. — REDUVIID^E. 



known, mostly from tropical countries. They are for the most 

 part large varicolored species. Some of them attack man, and 

 one, the Triatoma megista Burm., has in the past caused much 

 loss of life among the natives of Brazil. Two species and one 

 variety are known from the eastern states. 



KEY TO EASTERN" SPECIES OF TRIATOMA. 



a. Beak glabrous or nearly so, joint 2 twice or more as long as 1 ; tu- 

 bercles at apical angles of pronotum conical, subacute. 



529. SANGUISUGA. 



act. Beak pilose witb numerous long inclined hairs, joint 2 only a third 

 longer than 1, the latter much longer than 3; tubercles at apical 

 angles of pronotum obtuse, only slightly elevated. 



530. HEIDEMANNI. 



529 (738). Triatoma sanguisuga (Leconte), 1855, 404. 



Elongate-oval, broadest behind middle of abdomen. Piceous-black 

 or dark brown; narrow front and side margins of pronotum, basal fourth 

 and a spot on apical third of corium, reddish-yellow; connexivum, both 

 above and beneath, with alternate red and black bars ; legs and antennae 



dark brown. Antennae with scattered bristly 

 hairs, joint 1 not reaching tip of tylus, one- 

 third the length of 2, 3 and 4 more slender, 

 subequal, each one-half the length of 2. Hind 

 lobe of pronotum with numerous coarse 

 transverse wrinkles and two divergent cari- 

 nas. Tibiae all clothed beneath with bristly 

 j/\iM8!I^W hairs. Length, 16—21 mm. (Fig. 135). 



*** *^ Crawford Co., Ind., July 1—6. 



Dunedin, Sanford and R. P. Park, Fla., 

 Dec. 15 — April 3. Recorded from ten 

 additional Florida stations. The two 

 Indiana specimens were taken from be- 

 neath loose bark of oak. The Florida 

 adults are smaller than those from In- 

 diana, and represent the var. ambigua Neiva (1911, 422). He 

 says: "Examples which come from Florida are characterized 

 by their smaller size and by their color, which is much duller, 

 chiefly on the connexivum, which is at times completely ochra- 

 ceous." 



My specimens were taken from beneath boards and by 

 sweeping weeds in damp places; the nymphs from beneath 

 bark of pine and oak. T. sanguisuga ranges from Maryland and 

 New Jersey west to southern Illinois and southwest to Florida, 

 Texas and Panama. It is known in the southern states as the 

 "big bed-bug" ; also as the "blood-sucking cone-nose." 



Fig. 135, X 2. 

 (After Howard and Marlatt) 



