XIV , 2 Banks: Bloodsucking Insects of the Philippines 181 
is concerned, and living material should be studied from a pro- 
tozoological standpoint. 
The list of occasional bloodsucking insects includes those 
species in diverse orders and families which, while normally 
either plant feeders or predatory on other insects, will under 
exceptional conditions attack vertebrates, either piercing them 
severely or sucking their blood. Among these are the assassin 
bugs (Reduviidse) , represented by many genera and species and 
comprising some of the insects most beneficial to agriculture 
because of their habits of feeding on injurious insects. 
The assassin bug most commonly met with in houses is Ecto- 
mocoris atrox Stal, which is attracted to light in considerable 
numbers and which inflicts a bite like the puncture of a red-hot 
needle with its sharp, horny proboscis, if disturbed when crawl- 
ing over the body. Very little swelling accompanies the bite, 
but the pain lasts several hours or even days; and not infre- 
quently suppuration, due to infection at the time or subsequently, 
causes a sore similar to a boil. The resulting scar has the ap- 
pearance of a smallpox pit, even to the whiteness. As some 
of these insects are known to suck the juice of carrion, it is 
highly probable that infection may be caused by deleterious 
matter injected mechanically when they bite. 
Two other species of this genus, Ectomocoris flavomaculatus 
Stal and E. biguttulus Stal, are occasionally met with ; but neither 
of them has been known to attack man unprovokedly. Among 
other dangerous or unpleasant members of this family may be 
mentioned Sycanus stoM Dohrn, Eulyes illustris Stal, and Spho- 
dronyttus erythropterus Burm., which are merely representative 
of a large class with similar habits, not naturally aggressive to 
higher animals, but always ready to assert their rights when 
molested or even occasionally to intrude upon the rights of 
others. The red-banded cone-nose described above is one member 
of this family that appears to have departed entirely to the 
side of parasitic aggressors. 
Somewhat remotely related to the Reduviidfe is a group of 
insects of the same order, but of a different suborder, and known 
as leaf hoppers. They are primarily and preeminently plant 
feeders, but occasionally the tiny green Nephotettix apicalis 
Motsch or N. bipunctatus F. will alight upon, and suck blood 
from, the bare hand or arm of the observer at night when large 
numbers of these insects are attracted to light. They are most 
abundant at the end of the rainy season, and as many as two 
liters have been collected at a light in Manila on a single damp 
night. 
