ARILUS SERRATUS. 



Plate XXXVI. fig. 6. 



Order: Hemiptera. Suborder: Heteroptera. Section: Geocorisa. Famti.y : Reduviidfe, icae// . 

 Genus. Arilus, Hahn. Burm. Priouotus, Laporte. Reduvius, Feibr. 



Arilus Serratus. Fuscus, elytris subferrugineis, rostro, antennis tibiisque fulvis, seutPllo cristato scrrato. 



(Long. Corp. 1 uiic. 3 lin.) 

 S\-N. Cimex serratus, iJ»n.5'!/*<. iVa^ 2. 7-22.62. Fabr.Bnt. Syst. 4.205. 4-2. Syst. lih.-26G.2. (Reduvius s.) 



Stall . Clm.-2.t. 1./. 6. 

 Cimex can'natus, Dniri/, App. vol. 2. 



Habitat: ^t. Vincent (Dniry). America (Fal/r.). 



Head very small, and black. Neck long and slender. Eyes small. Antennas orange-coloured ; as 

 long as the insect. Thorax very small and black in front; the hind part exceeding large, and of a rusty 

 dark brown, the middle rising circularly and erect, with many points like teeth on its edges ; the sides 

 being extended beyond the body, and appearing like angles with their points cut off. Corium of the 

 wing-cases dusky brown, the membrane of a brassy olive colour. Abdomen black. Legs orange, 

 the thighs being black ; from the front of the head issues a slender orange-coloured beak, which reaches 

 to the fore legs. 



This large and remarkable species of winged bug is commonly known in the West 

 Indies under the name of the Wheel-bug, and is stated by Messrs. Kirby and Spence to 

 possess the power of communicating an electric shock to the person whose flesh it touches. 

 " The late Major-General Davies, of the Royal Artillery, once informed me, that when 

 abroad, having taken up this animal and placed it upon his hand, it gave him a consider- 

 able shock, as if from an electric jar, with its legs, which he felt as high as his shoulders ; 

 and dropping the creature, he observed six marks upon his hand where the six feet had 

 stood." (Intr. to Ent. 1. 110.) 



There appear to be several species confounded under the specific name of serratus. The 

 one figured by our author is well distinguished by the colour of its rostrum and tibiae, 

 which are fulvous or orange-coloured. (Fabricious calls them yellow "flavis," and Bur- 

 meister red " rufis.") I have received this species from Valparaiso. Another species having 

 brown tilna?, of a narrower form, rather smaller than the preceding, and having fewer 

 teeth upon the scutellar crest, is very abundant in Pennsylvania. It may be distinguished 

 bv the followinof character : — 



Arilus denticulatus, Westw. fuscus, tibiis concoloribus, rostro antennisque obscure rufescentibus 



crista scutellari circiter 10-denticulata. Long. Corp. 13 lin. 

 Habitat in America septentrionali (Comm. Dom. Peale). 



The sting of these insects produced by the short and powerful proboscis is accom- 

 panied with very considerable pain. Mr. Smeathman informed Mr. Drury that he had 

 been stung by the largest wasps of Africa, as well as by these bugs, and thought the pain 

 inflicted by the latter much more severe, though the effect does not remain so long. The 

 II I. 



