Poisonous Arthropods 



for its point of attack on man. So widespread were the stories 

 regarding this supposedly new insect that station entomologists all 



over the country began to receive sus- 

 pected specimens for identification. At 

 Cornell there were received, among 

 others, specimens of stone-flies, may- 

 flies and even small moths, with in- 

 quiries as to whether they were "kiss- 

 ing-bugs." 



Dr. L. O. Howard has shown that the 

 scare had its origin in newspaper reports 

 of some instances of bites by either 

 Melanolestes picipes (fig. iga) or Opsi- 

 coetes personatus (fig. 20), in the vicinity 

 of Washington, D. C. He then discusses 

 in considerable detail the more promi- 

 22 ' ^f^ h a u r s d bi g uttatus - < X2 )- After nent of the Reduviidse which, with 



greater or less frequency pierce the skin 



of human beings. These are Opsicoetes personatus, Melanolestes 

 picipes, Coriscus subcoleoptratus (fig. ipg), Rasahus ihoracicus. 

 Rasahus biguttatus (fig. 22), Conorhinus sanguisugus (fig. 71), and C. 

 abdominalis (fig. 23). 



One of the most interesting of these species is Reduvius personatus, 

 ( = 0psicostus personatus}, which is popularly known as the "masked 

 bed-bug hunter." It owes this 

 name to the fact that the imma- 

 ture nymphs (fig. 21) have their 

 bodies and legs completely covered 

 by dust and lint, and that they 

 are supposed to prey upon bed- 

 bugs. LeConte is quoted by How- 

 ard as stating that "This species is 

 remarkable for the intense pain 

 caused by its bite. I do not know 

 whether it ever willingly plunges 

 its rostrum into any person, but 

 when caught, or unskilfully handled 

 it always stings. In this case the 

 pain is almost equal to the bite of a snake, and the swelling and 

 irritation which result from it will sometimes last for a week." 



23. 



Conorhinus abdominalis (xa). After 

 Marlatt. 



