No. 34-] HEMIPTERA OF CONNECTICUT: REDUVIIDAE. 677 



Family REDUVIIDAE. 



By J. R. DE LA TORRE-BUENO. 



This family contains the most voracious forms of the Heterop- 

 tera; they are the tigers of the herbs. They softly stalk their 

 prey, which seized in their spiny front legs is pierced with poisoned 

 lancets and sucked dry of its blood while struggling. The 

 majority live on plants, where other insect life is abundant and life 

 easy, but some spend their lives under stones or otherwise 

 concealed from the light of day. 



Our American forms are separated into the following sub- 

 families, the key being frankly artificial. 



Key to Subfamilies. 



1. Anterior coxae short 2 



Anterior coxae elongated Emesinae, p. 690 



2. Ocelli present in winged individuals 3 



Ocelli absent; always fully-winged; no discoidal area at basal 

 angle of membrane Saicinae, p. 677 



3. Hemelytra without a discoidal or quadrangular areole at basal angle 



of membrane 4 



Hemelytra with a discoidal or quadrangular areole at the base of 

 the membrane 7 



4. Ocelli placed back of a line connecting the posterior margin of the 



eyes ; second joint of antennae simple 5 



Ocelli in front of a line across head connecting hind margins of 



eyes; first antennal joint stout, second of many jointlets 



[Hammatocerinae] 



5. Thorax constricted at, or in front of, middle; anterior tarsi three- 



j ointed 6 



Thorax constricted behind the middle; anterior coxae externally 

 flat or concave Piratinae, p. 682 



6. Apex of scutellum narrow, imarmed, or with a single spine 7 



Apex of scutellum broad, armed with two spines 



ECTRICHODHNAE, p. 684 



7. Anal area of membrane extending farther proximad than to the 



costal areole 8 



Anal area not extending as far as the costal areole ; basal joint 

 on antennae thickened, porrect; other joints folding back under 

 the head and first joint Stenopodinae, p. 678 



8. Ocelli not as far apart as the eyes 9 



Ocelli farther apart than the eyes Apiomerinae, p. 684 



9. Anterior femora, in length equalling or exceeding hind femora ; 



first joint of rostrum much shorter than second Zelinae, p. 685 



Anterior femora, in length less than, or rarely equalling, hind 



femora; first joint of rostrum equalling or exceeding second 



Reduviinae, p. 680 



Subfamily Saicinae. 



There is only one representative of this subfamily in the North, 

 namely, Oncerotrachelus. This genus is characterized by having 

 the anteocular part of head very short; apex of scutellum pro- 

 duced into a long spine ; anterior lobe of pronotum wider than 

 long. 



