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colour of upper side, legs and antenne; the surface of 
both insects is of an intense, shining violet-blue colour, 
except the head, which is red; the only difference being 
that the sides of pronotum in the Phædon are broadly 
red, but not so in the Stiretrus. In both species the 
antenne are black, with reddish base, and the legs red- 
dish, with tarsi dark or fuscous. 
10. An ,,Electric-light Bug“ (Belostoma). 
It is a well known fact that in tropical and subtropical 
countries a vast number of various insects are attracted 
by every kind of artificial light in dark and sultry nights. 
Collectors often find species new to science, which they 
have never before seen and seldom find again by ordinary 
collecting, by aid of lanterns during the evening hours 
or the nights. 
The electric light quite naturally will take the first 
place in attracting insects, and some sections of insects 
are especially fond of this magnificent light. Strange to 
say, the giant water-bugs, the Belostomas, are among the 
greatest admirers of the said light, and they have on ac- 
count of that gained their popular name „electric-light 
bugs“; in reality their predilection to the electric light is 
so extraordinary that, according to Mr. J. H. Comstock, 
in some districts „the absurd idea prevails that they have 
appeared only recently, «as if they were in some way a 
product of the electric light.“ 
As to the South American Belostoma annulipes H. Sch. 
Mr. C. Berg in his „Hemiptera Argentina“ notes that it 
„muchas veces ha sido recojida en las calles (in Buen- 
os Aires) principalmente durante la noche“. When visit- 
ing Buenos Aires medio October 1906 I one evening 
happened to cross the large and beautiful Plaza 25 de 
Mayo and was astonished by finding myriads of the 
Belostoma crawling along on the asphalt, especially under 
the electric lamps; new members of the society were 
