POISONOUS INSECTS AND THEIR RELATIVES 417 



Those long slender aquatic insects known as water 

 scorpions of the family Nepidce are also said to be capable 

 of inflicting painful wounds with their probosces. 



Probably the large water bugs of the family Belostomidcp 

 are better known for the painful wounds they make 

 with their rostrums. These insects are also known as 

 electric light bugs from their habit of congregating around 

 electric lights at night. 

 They normally live in 

 ponds, lakes, and streams, 

 but are often attracted by 

 the bright street lights in 

 great numbers. The two 

 more familiar species are 

 large, brownish, flat bugs 

 nearly two and one-half 

 inches long and furnished 

 with large strong wings 

 with which they fly long 

 distances (Fig. 144). Each 

 of these bugs possesses a 

 short but powerful beak 

 with which it can inflict 

 painful wounds. More- 

 over, there are two prominent poison glands connected 

 with the mouth parts from which a poisonous substance 

 may be injected into the wound made by the rostrum. 

 Normally, these water bugs live upon other insects, small 

 fishes, and tadpoles, which they kill with their poisonous 

 punctures. Their presence in fish ponds is undesirable, 

 because of their depredations among the small fishes. 



The effect of their punctures in the flesh of man is often 



2E 



FIG. 144. An electric light bug 

 (Belostoma). (XI.) 



