Vol. LYIII. No. 2587, 
NEW YORK, AUGUST 26, 1899. 
*1 PER YEAR. 
A PICTURE OF THE "KISSING BUG." 
WHO HE IS ! WHAT HE DOES ! 
“ You Are Not One to be Desired.” 
“GOT IN THE PAPERS.”—A few weeks ago, sev¬ 
eral persons in Washington, D. C., claimed to have 
been bitten or stung on the face by a bug, with the 
result that the face became much swollen, and they 
finally went to hospitals for treatment. The hug ex¬ 
perts were appealed to, and after one of them had 
been twice bitten, the culprit was found to be one of 
the true sucking bugs known as the Black Corsaii 
(Melanolestes picipes). This insect is ordinarily 
rather scarce, but seems to have become more com¬ 
mon than usual this year. The newspaper reporters 
soon began their windy crusade against the bug, and 
from the inner consciousness of some of them, was 
evolved the name of “Kissing bug” for this supposed 
new creation, which had found the kissable portion of 
the human anatomy so much to its liking. Other 
cities, and even smaller towns and villages, not to be 
outdone by the Washingtonians, soon reported “Kiss¬ 
ing bugs” of all imaginable sizes, shapes, and colors. 
This statement is not based on newspaper reports 
alone, but upon the medley of bugs sent us by phy¬ 
sicians and others. Apparently, the Kissing bug 
fad is now on the wane, and perhaps a few sober sec¬ 
ond thoughts may be appreciated. 
SEVERAL KISSERS.—There is a large family of 
true bugs, containing more than 100 kinds in Amer¬ 
ica, and known as the Reduviidse, or more popularly 
as the Assassin bugs. Most of the Assassin bugs live 
on the blood of insects, but some of them attack the 
higher animals, even man. At least two of them have 
been identified as inflicting the wounds which have 
won them the title of “Kissing bugs.” There are thus 
several kinds of “Kissing bugs,” and all of them have 
been known to science for many years. 
While the kind known as the Black Corsair may be 
responsible for most of the swollen faces in the South, 
it seems to be a very rare insect in New York and 
other northern States. I believe that a bug known as 
the Masked Bedbug-hunter (Opsicoetus personatus) is 
entitled to the undisputed cognomen of “Kissing bug” 
in New York State. It is known to be not uncommon 
in houses in this State; it is known to attack man, 
and it is the only “Kissing bug” sent to the Experi¬ 
ment Station entomologists of the State by those 
afflicted ones who were fortunate enough to capture 
the culprit. A woman in Wayne County wrote us 
that the specimen she sent came at her one evening 
like a mad hornet, striking her on the face three 
times in the same place. The bugs are frequently at¬ 
tracted to lights. A lifelike portrait of this New York 
“Kissing bug” is presented natural size, and enlarged 
at a in Fig. 228. It will be noticed that it is quite 
similar in appearance to the familiar Squash stink- 
bug, and, in fact, it is not distantly related to this 
squash pest. It is of a very dark brown or black 
color. 
AN OLD TIMER.—This New York “Kissing bug” is 
an old European insect which we find described in 
some of our books that are nearly 200 years old; it is 
also said to occur in Africa. One European author, 
writing 125 years ago, stated that the insect had been 
taken in Pennsylvania; this writer (De Geer) also re¬ 
corded about all that is known of the habits of the 
insect. The bug is discussed in many European books 
on insects, usually as the Dirt or Filth bug, although 
one German, as early as 1778, called it the Masked 
bug. In 1888, Prof. ConiLtock proposed the name of 
Masked Bedbug-hunter, which is now in common use 
in this country. This name at once suggests some 
vital connection with the despised Bedbug. In fact, 
this “Kissing bug” is not distantly related to the Bed¬ 
bug in the insect world, but its name was suggested 
from the fact that it is believed that the Bedbug is 
often included in the menu of the “Kissing bug.” One 
German writer doubts this, however, as he can hardly 
conceive of the extremely thin and fatless Bedbug as 
forming a dainty morsel unless gorged with human 
blood, and he doubts whether the “Kissing bug” is 
often driven to take blood at second-hand. The fact 
THE “KISSING BUG.” FROM I,IFE. Fio. 228. 
that Linnaeus, when he gave the bug its name in 
1758, stated that it fed upon Bedbugs, has been gen¬ 
erally accepted, although we find no record of any 
one having seen it eat them. It is not at all improb¬ 
able, however, that it does eat them, for many times 
its life is passed in dusty cracks and corners which 
are favorite haunts of Bedbugs, and we do know that 
the “Kissing bug” includes flies and other insects in 
its daily menu, taking human blood as a sort of des¬ 
sert, perhaps, at times. 
The designation of Masked bug was suggested by 
the fact that the younger stages or nymphs of the 
“Kissing bug” mask themselves by~ covering their 
skin with fine particles of dust, lint, or feathers. At 
ii. in Fig. 228 is shown an enlarged picture of one of 
these nymphs taken from an old drawing. The 
nymphs are said to approach their prey, another in¬ 
sect, with a slow and deliberate walk, then after feel¬ 
ing of their victim with their antennae, they suddenly 
pounce upon him, soon sucking out his life-blood. Its 
dirty or dusty coating is easily brushed off, and one 
writer states that one which he had in confinement 
moulted its skin, and used its coat of dust with which 
to re-cover its new skin. It is said that the insect 
winters in the nymph state, and it can fast during 
this time. 
HOW HE DOES IT.—How does the “Kissing bug” 
sting or bite? It will be seen from b in Fig. 228 that 
a strong beak projects from the head, and curves back 
underneath the body. This is the organ with which it 
gets its food. It is a formidable-appearing weapon (it 
is much enlarged at b), and if it were inserted for 
the whole or even a portion of its length, as many 
suppose it is, it would make a much more easily- 
discovered wound. However, this strong beak sim¬ 
ply serves as a brace or support to some very fine, 
thread-like organs which work along it in a groove. 
These threads may be seen projecting a little way 
beyond the point of the beak at b. When it bites or 
stings, the bug straightens out its beak, rests the 
point upon the surface of the skin, and then proceeds 
to force the thread-like organs into the flesh. This 
accomplished, the work of pumping out the blood be¬ 
gins. This operation can be interestingly observed if 
one can screw the courage to the point where a mos¬ 
quito can be allowed to take its bloody meal unmo¬ 
lested from the hand. 
If the bug were satisfied simply to take its fill of 
blood, it is quite probable that the newspaper report¬ 
ers would have had to fill columns with something 
else besides harrowing tales of “Kissing bugs.” How¬ 
ever, like many other of the sucking bugs, this "Kiss¬ 
ing bug,” apparently, injects some poisonous fluid into 
the wound it makes. This poison seems akin to that 
of a bee, as it has a similar effect on man, some¬ 
times causing intense pain, numbness, and much 
swelling which may last a week or more, and yet 
another person would hardly notice it. Where the 
constitution is very weak and irritable, the bite may 
prove fatal. The newspapers have reported several 
cases of death from the “Kissing bug,” but such re¬ 
ports generally prove to be without foundation. It is 
recorded that, when this bug is caught or unskillfully 
handled, it always stings, hence whenever you are 
introduced to one of them, treat it with the respect 
due its “kissing” powers. m. v. sdinoerland. 
FERTILIZER FOR THE WjSST.—U p to this time, 
there has been but little attention paid by our fruit 
growers to the question of fertilizing. As a rule, very 
little has been done along this line, because in most 
cases, our orchards being located on practically new 
lands, they require no fertilization. However, in late 
years, this question has been discussed to some ex¬ 
tent in our horticultural meetings, and I can see the 
time coming when it will be all-important, and when, 
on the older lands, we shall have to fertilize. Up to 
this time most interest has been shown in fertilizing 
with cow peas or clover, especially the former, and 
much is claimed for the cow peas by those who have 
tried them. Personally I believe that there will come 
a time when even here in the West, cow peas and 
other crops will fail to fertilize, as they now do, and 
that we then must resort to other help, and just 
where we shall get our supply from, is hard to say. 
Judging from what we have done in all such matters 
in tne past, it is quite likely that we shall look to the 
East for such supplies. Concerning the apple crop, 
this season, the prospects at this time are not nearly 
so good as they were one month ago; many fruits have 
dropped, and I think it would not be fair to put the 
average over about one-third of a full crop. 
Boonville, Mo, chas. c. bell. 
