Head long, narrowed behind into a neck; eyes large, prominent; rostrum thick and curved; antennæ moderately long, slender at the tip; legs long and stiff; carnivorous.
Amongst the Reduviidæ one genus is of particular importance, namely the genus Conorhinus, which has a long head and the first segment of the beak very much shorter than the second, and the posterior tibiæ longer than the femora.
These large bugs have a wide distribution, the Oriental region, North and South America, and the West Indies, Madagascar and West and Central Africa.
These large bugs may cause very nasty wounds by their bites, but beyond that it has recently been shown that one interposes in the life-cycle of a trypanosome, namely—
Genus. Conorhinus, Lap.
Conorhinus megistus, Burm.
This large bug has recently been shown by Chagas to be the agent in the development of the trypanosome (T. cruzii) which is the cause of the well-known disease in many parts of Brazil called Barbeiro (Barbier). This insect is about 1 in. long, black, with four red spots on the pronotum, and six red lateral lines on the abdomen, black legs, head and beak. The insect is figured in a coloured plate (No. 9) in Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz, 1909, i, fasc. 2, pp. 158–218.
A further account is given by Neiva.[364]
Conorhinus sanguisuga, Lec. (Blood-sucking Cone-nose).
This bug is also known as the Texas or Mexican bed bug, also as the big bed bug. It is particularly troublesome in the Mississippi Valley in bedrooms. The bite is very severe and results in more pronounced swelling and inflammation than that of the Cimex. Normally this genus feeds upon the blood of mammals and insects. Its fondness for human blood appears to be quite a new habit, and appears limited to the mature insect only. It is nearly an inch long, flat, head very narrow and long, the rostrum short and thick. In colour it is dark brown with pink markings. They are fully winged when adult, and they fly with ease, entering houses on the wing, especially being attracted by lights in windows; they also run swiftly. Like the bed bug they conceal themselves during the day and come out at night and bite the sleeper. The effect of the bite is very varied, but as a rule a sore, itching wound, accompanied by burning pain and swellings, which may extend over a good deal of the body, occur. A specific poison is undoubtedly injected into the puncture; but no doubt serious results are also due to the beak being contaminated through the insects feeding upon foul carrion. Mr. Lembert, when bitten by a Conorhinus sp. (?) on the Pacific slope, exhibited the following symptoms: an itching sensation extending up the leg, large blotches manifesting themselves on the upper part of the limb and extending up to the hands and arms; his lips swelled and the itching and swelling extended over the head; there was also much nausea. Similar results are recorded from other regions.[365]