260 



CiMiciD^E. INSECTS.- 



-Reduviid.e. 



leg magnified is the tore leg. The other figure, 6, shows 

 the liead, one of the antenna;, and a part of the thorax. 

 The first volume of Mr. Dallas's admirable catalogue 



Fig. IOC. 



ChBei'ocytlniis foveolatus. 



of the Hemiptora in the British Museum contains 

 descriptions of these two families, with many outline 

 figures of the genera. 



Families— COREIDiE and hYGJEWM. 



Fig. 1G7 represents the Derepleryx Grayii, from the 

 mountains of India. 



One of the handsomest species of the family is the 

 Diactor folincea, a large beautiful fellow, with green 

 elytra and thorax, the thorax lineated with yellow. 

 Its hind legs have tlie tibiaj curiously dilated, and they 

 are coloured with red and yellow. Should it fall into 

 water its Hat legs enable it to lloat. It is a common 

 species in Brazil. 



Fig. 167 



Di;lX'i»tei-yx Grayii, 



Plate 8, fig. 2, shows the pretty red and black 

 Lyijnus punctum, with the white dot on tlie end of its 

 hi'melylron. Fig. 5 of that plate shows the pretty 

 slender licrytus iipuJar'ms. 



The learned. Swedish naturalist S|iarrman, a pupil of 

 Linn;eus, visited Soutli Africa and discovered many new 

 and curious subjects both in the animal and vegetable 

 liirigdoms. Among the former was a curious member 

 of this family.* He relates that on one of his excur- 

 sions at the Cape, as he was seeking shelter from the 

 sultry sun under the branches of a large shrub, ho 



* Cimox paradoxus of Sp^rrman — Phyllomorplta pavadoxa of 

 modern authors. 



observed this insect. It attracted his notice by falling 

 from the branch ; at first he took it for a little pale 

 crumpled leallet. Great was his surprise to find a 

 curious live insect creeping on the ground, like a 

 small piece of withered leaf with its edges turned up 

 and gnawed by caterpillars, while it was closely stuck 

 over with prickles. The insect has been frequently 

 found since Sparrman's time, and is now, with others of 

 its congeners, well known to them under" the name of 

 Phillomorpha (Leaf-shape). It is of a tawny yellow hue, 

 varied with dilTerent shades of brown and red, and 

 is not quite half an inch in length. Two species of the 

 genus have been met with in Southern Europe. On 

 Plate 8, fig. 4, is figured the Pltyllomorpha paradoxa, 

 or Syromastes paradoxus, as it is named on the plate. 



Families— CIMICID^ and TINGID.ffi. 



The Bed-bug (Cimex lecltdarhtu) was formerly a rare 

 insect in this country. Old MouU'et mentions, that in 

 1503 two ladies were thrown into a state of great alarm 

 by the appearance of bug-bites upon them ; till their 

 physician, who was a naturalist, explained to them the 

 insect cause of their being spotted, they were afraid 

 that tliey had the symptoms of the plague ! Their fears 

 were turned into laughter when they saw the little flat- 

 toned insects, whose nocturnal attacks had marked 

 them. Kirby and Spence tell us that their original 

 name in English was Chinche or Wall-louse. The 

 name Bug was not applied to them till after Joha 

 Kay wrote. It is a Celtic word signifying a ghost or 

 goblin, and was given to them most probably because 

 they were considered as " terrors by night."* They 

 are diliicult of eradication when they get into houses. 

 On Plate 8, fig. 1 , is figured the Diclymiota or Tinr/is 

 vinarum. Some of the Tingidte, if on a larger scale, 

 would arrest the attention of any one by their exquisite 

 beauty. 



The Cax>si and PliytocorU group are very numerous. 



Family— KEDUVIIDiE. 



A large and important family. 



The lieduvtus personatus derives its name of per- 

 sonalus, i.e., " the masked," from the insect in its larva 

 and pupa states being covered with dirt, even on the 

 legs and antenna;, so as to alter its appearance. This 

 dirt consists of the dust, fragments of wool or cotton, 

 and such matters as fly about rooms. It is preda- 

 ceous, and is glad to make a meal of that much hated 

 relation the bed-bug. It is not an uncommon British 

 species. 



The forms of Reduviidaj are most various. But to 

 Eulyes Pelalocheirus, &c., wo can only refer. Bishop 

 riel)er was evidently much annoyed by Hemiptera in 

 the East. He says : — 



■'One of the greatest plagues we have as yet met with 

 in this journey is that of the winged bugs. In shape, 

 size, and scent, with the additional faculty of flying, 

 they resemble tho odoriferous genus too well-known in 

 England. They came out in hundreds and thousands 



* In some of tho old versions of the Bible Ps. xci. 5 is traus 

 lated, "Thou shalt not need to fear any bugs by night." 



