riiYMATIDAE REDUVIIDAE 



555 



none in Britain, though there are a few in Southern Europe ; 



one of these, P. crasslpes, extends as far north as Paris. The 



distinction of the family from Eeduviidae is doubtful.^ There 



are a few very rare forms (Fig. 267) in which the front tibia is 



articulated to the femur in 



such a way that a pair of 



pincers is formed : the tarsus 



is in this form, as well as 



in some other Phymatidae, 



absent. 



Fam. 12. Reduviidae. 

 — Head more or less elon- 

 gate, very movahle, eyes placed 

 much in front of the thorax, 

 ocelli, 2vhen present, behind 

 the eyes. Proboscis short, or 

 moderately short, not ex- 

 tending on to the breast, in 

 repose curved tinder the head 

 so as to form a loop there- 

 with. Elytra, when present, 

 consisting of three divisions. 

 Tarsi three-jointed. — This is 

 one of the largest and most 

 important families of Hemi- 

 ptera. Upwards of 2000 

 species are already known ; 

 the habits seem to be chiefly 

 of a predaceous nature, the 

 creatures drawing their 

 nutriment from the animal 

 rather than from the vege- 

 table kingdom, and their 

 chief prey being in all 

 probability other kinds of „ 268 

 Insects. There is, perhaps, 

 no family of Insects exhibit- 

 ing a greater variety of form and colour. The Emesids are amongst 

 the most delicate of Insects, equalling in this respect the daddy- 

 1 Monograph of Fhymatidae : Handlirsch, Ann. Hofmus. Wien, xii. 1897, p. 127. 



Ghilianella filiventris. Brazil. A, 

 the female Insect. B, extremity of the body 

 of the male. 



