reduvius

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A genus of heteropterous insects, typical of the family Reduviidæ, formerly of very large extent, but now restricted to species which have the postocular section of the head longer than the anteocular section, and the first joint of the head scarcely shorter than the second. About 50 species are now included, most of them African. A few are European, and one only is found in America. R. personatus is a European species, an inch long, known as the fly-bug, of a dark-brown color with reddish legs.