via 



THYMATIDAE REDUVIIDAE 



555 



none ill Britain, though there are a few in Southern Eiirope ; 

 one of these, P. crassipes, extends as far north as Paris. r l'l it- 

 distinction of the family from Reduviidae is doubtful. 1 There 

 are a few very rare forms (Fig. 267) in which the front tibia is 

 articulated to the femur in 

 such a way that a pair of 

 pincers is formed : the tarsus 

 is in this form, as well as 

 in some other Phymatidae, 

 absent. 



Fam. 12. Reduviidae. 

 Head more or less elon- 

 l<ifr, rrry movable, eyes placed 

 in v i'li i ii front of the thorax, 

 ocelli, when present, behind 

 the eyes. Proboscis short, or 

 moderately short, not ex- 

 tending on to the breast, in 

 repose curved under the head 

 so as to form a loop there- 

 with. Elytra, when present, 

 consisting of three divisions. 

 Tarsi three-jointed. This is 

 one of the largest and most 

 important families of Hemi- 

 ptera. Upwards of 2000 

 species are already known ; 

 the habits seem to be chiefly 

 of a predaceous nature, the 



drawing 



their 



creatures 



nutriment from the animal 

 rather than from the vege- 

 table kingdom, and their 

 chief prey being in all 

 probability other kinds of 

 Insects. There is, perhaps, 

 no family of Insects exhibit- 

 ing a greater variety of form and colour. The Emesids are amongst 

 the most delicate of Insects, equalling in this respect the claddy- 

 1 Monograph of Phymatidae : Handlirsch, Ann. Hofmus. ll'icn, xii. 1897, p. 127- 



FIG. 268. GhUianella fiJiventris. Brazil. A, 

 the female Insect. B, extremity of the body 

 of the male. 



