418 HOUSEHOLD INSECTS 



quite severe. Intense pain, swelling, and inflammation 

 follow the stab of the beak. The pain, soreness, and 

 general effect of the puncture may last for several days. 

 In handling live specimens of the giant water bugs con- 

 siderable care should be exercised to prevent the insects 

 from obtaining an opportunity to insert their beaks. 



A word should be said regarding the so-called seventeen- 

 year locust, or more properly, the seventeen-year cicada. 

 Whenever outbreaks of this insect occur, there are always 

 many accounts in local papers of the stings inflicted 

 by the cicada on human beings. Several entomologists 

 have been at great pains to trace these reports to de- 

 termine the truth of them. In every case where this has 

 been done the reports have been found to have been with- 

 out any foundation at all or greatly exaggerated. In 

 cases where apparently there was some truth in the report, 

 investigation showed that the "sting" or "bite" was 

 probably due to some other insect. 



It is probable that the cicada can pierce the flesh with its 

 beak and perhaps occasionally does so. There is, how- 

 ever, no evidence to show that there is any poisonous sub- 

 stance injected into the wound or that the "sting" causes 

 serious pain or discomfort. We are obliged to conclude 

 that the periodical cicada is a harmless insect. 



The family of bugs known as the assassin bugs, Reduviidce, 

 contains many species that are capable of inflicting very 

 severe wounds on human beings. The so-called kissing 

 bug belongs to this family. It should be said, however, 

 that most of these bugs will not harm man unless driven 

 to it. 



A few years ago many accounts appeared in the news- 

 papers regarding the "bites" of the so-called kissing bug. 



