CORISCUS, RASAHUS, MELANOLESTES 4OI 



a week and may even cause death. 1 In 1899 it was very abun- 

 dant at Washington and elsewhere ; other species occurred, and so 

 no definite opinion existed as to the actual biter, but some people 

 took R. personatus actually biting. It was first described as a 

 parasite of man in America by Walsh and Riley. 2 



A popular name for this bug is the Wheel or Masked-bug a 

 black insect, three-fourths of an inch long. The larva of this 

 bug is carnivorous and covers its body with dust so as to conceal 

 itself from its prey. The adult is active on the wing. 



15. Coriscus subcoleoptratus, Kirby, 1837. '* 



Nabicula subcoleoptrata, Kirby, 1837 ; Nabis subcoleoptratus, Reuter, 1872 ; 

 Coriscus subcoleoptratus, Stal, 1873. 



N. United States. Howard was bitten by one between the 

 fingers the pain was intense, like a needle prick, but the swelling 

 was small. No other case known. 



16. Rasahus biguttatus, Say, 1831. 



Pirates biguttatus, Stal, 1862 ; Callisphodrus biguttatus, Stal, 1866 ; Rasahus 

 biguttatus, Stal, 1872. 



Common in S. United States, and found in Cuba, Panama and 

 Para, &c. Known as the Two-spotted Corsair on account of the 

 great spot on the hemielytra. Frequently found in houses where 

 it chases the bed bug. It also bites man frequently. From 

 1869 Walsh and Riley placed it amongst the parasites of man. 

 In United States Davidson 4 is of opinion that all cases attributed 

 to spider bites are due to this insect. 



17. Melanolestes morio, Erichson (1848), Non-W T alker. 



Pirates morio, Erichson, 1848; Melanolestes morio , Stal, 1866; Pirates 

 picipes, Herrich-Schaffer, 1848 ; Melanolestes picipes, Howard, 1900. 



Guiana and Mexico and E. and S. United States. Length 20 

 mm. ; hides under stones and logs during daylight and flies at 



1 " Insects to which the name ' Kissing-bug ' became applied during the summer 

 of 1899," Bull. No. 22 (N.S.), p. 24, 1900, U.S. Department Agriculture. 



2 American Entomologist, i, p. 84-88, 1869. 



3 " Sur la Piquee de quelques Hemipteres" Arch, d Parasitohgie, p. 145, 1902, 

 R. Blanchard. 



* " So-called Spider Bites and their treatment," Therapeutic Gazette, February 19, 

 1875- 

 26 



