560 



HEMIPTERA-HETEROPTERA 



is sufficiently elevated ; during too cold weather the Insects 

 merely become stupefied, their lives being as it were interrupted 

 till warmth returns. It is a favourite food with other Insects, 

 and is destroyed by cockroaches and ants as well as by Recluvius ; 

 the small black ant 3Io7ioinorium will, it is said, clear a house of the 

 bed-bug in a few days, i^othing is really known as to the origin 

 of this Insect ; it is now very widely distributed. The other 

 species of the family frequent birds and bats, and are very 

 similar to the common bug. The genus to which the bed-bug 

 belongs is in many works called Acanthia instead of Cimex. 

 Other authors apply the term Acanthia to Salda, but it is better 

 to allow the name Acanthia to fall into disuse. 



Fam. 16. Anthocoridae. — Minute lugs, usually ivith ocelli 

 cmd with elytra ; the latter occasionally cchhreviated, but usually 

 fully develojKcl, with memhranous tip. Head prolonged in the 

 middle in front much heyond the insertion of the antennae ; eyes 

 not far from the thorax. Rostrum free. — These small and obscure 

 Insects appear to be rather numerous in species, and to be chieiiy 

 connected with woods and forests. Some of the species live 



in ants' nests. We have 27 

 British species belonging 

 to 11 genera. About 200 

 species of the family are 

 known. The members of 

 the sub-family Microphy- 

 sides are remarkable from 

 the great dissimilarity of 

 the sexes, for which it is 

 not possible to assign any 

 reason. 



Fam. 17. Polyctenidae. 

 — Proboscis - sheath three - 

 jointed, tarsi four -jointed, 

 antennae four-jointed. Teg- 

 uiina qthite short, of one con- 

 sistence. — The four or fi-\'e 

 anomalous species forming 

 this family are parasites on 

 have been found in both the 

 Westwood, who first described 



Fig. 273. — Polyctenes fumarius. 

 (After Westwood.) 



bats of the genus Molossus, and 

 Eastern and Western hemispheres. 



