108 [Assembly, 



blood and juices of their prey, which is accomplished in a few 

 moments, through their proboscis, when they leave it hanging 

 among the bloom, and ensconce themselves in their fragrant and cozy 

 retreats for fresh ones. Their victims are killed instantaneously, 

 without a struggle ; and are grasped by their powerful sickle-like 

 claws, drawn in and stabbed with their proboscis. They are as 

 fierce looking as the fabled dragons. 



The interesting account above given relates to the "stinging 

 bug," as it is sometimes called, the scientific name of which is 

 Phymata erosa. In the American Entomologist (vol. ii, p. 25), 

 the following account is given of it in reply to a correspondent • 

 "It is a singular, craggy-looking bug, about 0.38 of an inch long, 

 of a yellowish-green color, variegated with brown, with the legs 

 green and a transverse deep brown band running superiorly across 

 from one side to the other of the dilated abdomen. The genus 

 is characterized by the immensely swollen front thighs, and by the 

 last joint of the antehnse being also swollen. The statement that 

 one of these bugs stung you does not surprise us. The stinging 

 was, of course, done by the beak, which is three-jointed and some- 

 what resembles that of Harjpactor cinctus (Fabr.). The plant on 

 which you found these bugs we take to be Parthenium integri- 

 folium. We have noticed them ourselves in the latter part of 

 summer lying quietly in wait for their prey upon a great variety 

 of wild flowers, but mostly on such as like themselves are of a 

 yellowish color so as to conceal them from view. We have also 

 often seen this bug with its beak inserted into a small bee or a 

 small wasp, which it is wide-awake enough to hold at arms 

 length with its prehensile forelegs, so that the poor unfortunate 

 captive has no chance to sting it." 



The butterfly sent with the bug as one of its victims is an 

 example of Chrysophanus Americanus D'Urban — a common 

 species through#ut the Middle and Northern United States and 

 British America. 



Prof. Glover, in his Manuscript Notes on the Hemiptera, states 

 that a specimen of the bug was taken near the Maryland Agri- 

 cultural College as it was lying concealed among the petals of a 

 rose busily engaged in sucking out the juices of a small blue 

 butterfly which it had caught and killed, and that many others 

 were observed apparently lying in wait in various flowers for the 

 insects attracted to them. 



