26 



Fig. 19. — Melcmolestes abdominalis : </, adult 

 male; 9, female; head and piercing beak at 

 left of male above— about twice natural size 

 (original). 



This insect has been mentioned several times in entomological litera- 

 ture. The first reference to its bite was probably made by Townend 

 Glover in the Annual Keport of the Commissioner of Agriculture for 

 1875, page 130. In Maryland, lie states, M. jricipes is found under 

 stones, moss, logs of wood, etc., and is capable of inflicting a severe 

 wound with its rostrum or piercer. In 1888 Dr. Lintner, in his fourth 



report as State entomologist of New 

 York, page 110, quotes from a corre- 

 spondent in Natchez, Miss., concern 

 ing this insect: 'II send a specimen 

 of a fly not known to us here. A few 

 days ago it punctured the finger of 

 my wife, inflicting a painful sting. 

 The swelling was rapid, and for 

 several days the wound was quite 

 annoying." Until comparatively 

 recently this insect has not been 

 known to the writer as occurring in 

 houses with any degree of frequency. 

 In May, 1895, however, I received a 

 specimen from an esteemed corre- 

 spondent, Dr. J. M. Shaffer, of Keo- 

 kuk, Iowa, together with a letter written on May 7, in which the state- 

 ment was made that four specimens flew into his window the night 

 before. The insect, therefore, is attracted to light, or is becoming 

 attracted to light, is a night flyer, and enters houses through open 

 windows. Among the several cases of bites by this insect, coming 

 under the writer's observation, one has been reported by the well-known 

 entomologist, Mr. 

 Charles Dury, of Cin- 

 cinnati, Ohio, in which 

 this species {M.incipes) 

 bit a man on the back 

 of the hand, making a 

 bad sore. In another 

 case, where the insect 

 was brought for our 

 determination and 

 proved to be tbis spe- 

 cies, the bite was upon 

 the cheek and the 

 swelling was said to be great but with little pain. In the third case, 

 occurring at Holland, S. C, the symptoms were more serious. The 

 patient was bitten upon the end of the middle finger, and stated 

 that the first paroxysm of pain was about like that resulting from a 

 hornet or a bee sting, but almost immediately it grew ten times more 

 painful and a feeling of weakness followed with vomiting. The pain was 



Fig. 20. — (Joriscus subcoleoptratus : a, short-winged female adult 

 (brachypterous form); b. winged female; c, piercing rostrum, 

 seen from side, twice natural size (original). 



