HETEROPTERA. — REDUVIIDE. 473 
exercise this habit, that a specimen shut up by M. Brullé, and which 
had undergone one of its moultings during its imprisonment, divested 
its old skin of its coat of dust, in order to re-cover itself therewith. 
(Hist. Nat. Ins, tom. ix. p. 307.) Mr. Bird has observed, that the imago 
flies into lighted rooms at night. (Ent. Mag. ii. 41.) Like most other 
rapacious species, it is enabled to undergo a long fast. The larva of 
Ploiaria possesses similar habits. ‘The pupa is figured by De Geer, 
Mém. vol. iii. t. 17. Some exotic species allied to Ploiaria (g. Cera- 
scopus Heineken, Emesodema Spinola) never acquire any rudiments 
of wings; they are domestic insects, and are almost invariably found 
after dusk, according to the former author, who has published a very 
interesting notice of the habits of C. marginatus as above referred 
to. Its motions are very slow, although it is so insectivorous that a 
female killed and sucked a companion of her own sex, her own mate, 
and, after only a few days’ fast, her own young, and sucked her own 
eggs! The young differs only in being more linear and smaller. 
Some of the species, especially Pierates stridulus, make a loud 
noise by the friction of the neck within the prothoracic cavity. (Ann. 
Soc. Ent. France, 1837, p. 66.) 
Two British species of this family, Prostemma guttula Fabr. (bra- 
chelytrum Duf:) and Coranus subapterus Curé., De Geer (Collicoris 
griseus Hahn, Oncocephalus g. Spin. ? Red. pedestris Wolff, but 
certainly not Aptus apterus Hahn, as quoted by Burmeister), are in- 
teresting on account of their being generally found in an undeveloped 
imago state; the latter being either entirely apterous, or with the fore 
wings rudimental, although occasionally met with, having the four wings 
completely developed. “ Je pense (observes Spinola, E’ssaz, p. 96.) que 
la présence des ailes, et leur développement dépendent du climat ;” 
and, in speaking of Oncocephalus griseus he says, “ L’influence du cli- 
mat septentrional parait avoir arrété le développement des organes du 
vol.” (Ibid. p. 103.) It will be seen by referring to pages 158 and 
4.31. ante, that I have noticed that it is, especially in hot seasons, that 
certain species acquire full-sized wings, whilst the circumstance noticed 
respecting the ordinary occurrence of winged specimens of Microvelia 
in the West Indies (p. 470.) is confirmatory of the same opinion. 
Some very singular modifications of form occur amongst the exotic 
species. In some (Petalocheirus Pal. B.) tlie fore tibiz are greatly 
dilated ; in others, Notocyrtus Hoffm, Saccoderes Spinola, Red. dor- 
salis Gr.( An. K. pl.91.), R. inflatus and vesiculosus Perty (Del. pl.34.), 
and Arilus tuberculatus (Griff. An. K. pl. 91.), the prothorax is vesi- 
