538 THE ANIMAL PARASITES OF MAN 



Normally this genus feeds upon the blood of mammals and insects. 

 Its fondness for human blood appears to be quite a new habit, and 

 appears limited to the mature insect only. It is nearly an inch long, 

 flat, head very narrow and long, the rostrum short and thick. In 

 colour it is dark brown with pink markings. They are fully winged 

 when adult, and they fly with ease, entering houses on the wing, 

 especially being attracted by lights in windows ; they also run swiftly. 

 Like the bed bug they conceal themselves during the day and come 

 out at night and bite the sleeper. The effect of the bite is very varied, 

 but as- a rule a sore, itching wound, accompanied by burning pain 

 and swellings, which may extend over a good deal of the body, occur. 

 A specific poison is undoubtedly injected into the puncture ; but no 

 doubt serious results are also due to the beak being contaminated 

 through the insects feeding upon foul carrion. Mr. Lembert, when 

 bitten by a Conorhinus sp. (?) on the Pacific slope, exhibited the 

 following symptoms : an itching sensation extending up the leg, 

 large blotches manifesting themselves on the upper part of the 

 limb and extending up to the hands and arms ; his lips swelled 

 and the itching and swelling extended over the head ; there was 

 also much nausea. Similar results are recorded from other regions. 1 

 The eggs of the C. sanguisuga are at first white, then become 

 yellow, then pink ; the young hatch in twenty days. There are two 

 larval and two pupal stages, the latter showing wing-pads. The eggs 

 are laid and the young feed out of doors, chiefly upon insects. It is 

 particularly abundant in April and May indoors. 



Conorhinus, sp. novinn (Monster Bug). 



Another species; acts in a very similar way in California, the 

 bite being very poisonous. 



Conorhinus rubrofasciatus, de Geer 2 (Malay Bug). 



This large bug attacks man in Malaysia and elsewhere. It is recorded 

 as inflicting "a very nasty sting, which is done by the huge proboscis." 

 Acute pain and inflammation follow in a few minutes. In one case 

 the whole leg became swollen. This species occurs over the whole 

 Oriental region, in Madagascar and Sierra Leone. It is dark brown 

 in colour with dusky yellow or brick-red markings on the pronotum 

 and elytra. Donovan suggests that it may be connected with the 

 kala-azar piroplasma. 



1 " Household Insects," p. 42. 



2 [First Report Econ. Zool., 1903, p. 130. F. V. T.] 



